


A Pack of Trouble

by Wargurl83



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU-fantasy, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Harlequin Big Bang, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence, Werewolves, wolfpack dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:41:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27294355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wargurl83/pseuds/Wargurl83
Summary: A pack broken. A pup in danger. A omega who will fight with his last breath.Castiel Novak didn’t know his stroll in the woods is going to start with dragging his best friend out to take pictures and end with him the new Alpha of the Smokey Mountains Pack. A very traumatized pack, and those are only the shifters he can see. Too many are missing, hiding in the woods or worse.His wolf doesn’t care. He has a pack. One with a red-furred friend he thought he lost long ago, a ten-year-old girl who smells like wolf right up until she shifts, and a brave man with green eyes and serious trust problems who defended a pup with nothing more than a tree branch and sheer guts.The walk ahead won’t be easy, but he has a list.Chase out the abusive Alpha.Call Mom.Deal with the evil still stalking the woods.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 5
Kudos: 92
Collections: Destiel Harlequin Challenge 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A note about the GSMNP- no one actually lives in this national park, so I ask you to suspend disbelief for this fic. I live in Knoxville, TN, and the national park is a big reason why I love living here, and I wanted to show, even just a little, some of the reasons why this park is so special. So, settle in and pretend with me that the government wouldn’t give a hoot about a pack of shifters living in the Park.
> 
> A note about words in italics- When a shifter is in an animal form, they can still talk to other shifters through a mental link. This is something all shifters can do, no matter what the form or if they belong to the same pack or not. Narrowing your focus to a single (or a group) of shifters allows you to speak privately with them, but if your focus isn’t there, you’ll wide broadcast to anyone in the area (about the same as an overheard verbal conversation).
> 
> Mental “feelings”- Something that you only get from family or bond-mates. These feelings aren’t specific and more of a general overtone of the person’s state. Example: if someone in your family gets intensely scared, the other kin within range (again, about the same as an overheard verbal conversation) will feel that as FEAR FEAR FEAR. 
> 
> Shifting- Shifters do not shift with clothing. Dey be nekkid, yo. They typically carry a bag with them with their clothing in it.
> 
> Scents- The shifters don’t really have individual scents beyond ones that ping the memory as “This is this particular person”. They do, however, tend to take on the scents of their pack members, and Alphas (pack leaders) have a scent that marks them as such. It’s something more primal than the typical scents of omegaverse fics and will not be gone into depth here.


	2. Chapter 2

Castiel Novak rolls his eyes at his best friend, Meg Masters, as he walks backward up the trail. "I'm sure if there was a shifter pack out in the Smokey Mountains, we'd heard of them by now, don't you think?"

Meg huffs as she trudges up the path behind him. "I'm just saying, Clarence, wouldn't it be neat if it were true? I mean, look at this place!" She sweeps her arms out, indicating the spruce trees surrounding her.

Castiel stops and looks around, taking in the picturesque landscape. He hums his agreement before turning back around and continuing. "The Smokies are lovely this time of year, but it does still get cold and snowy."

"Well yeah," Meg huffs behind him. "I mean, these _are_ mountains, after all. Either way, it's not true, so it's not like we've got to worry about things coming to eat us when we camp later, right?"

"Well, we still do have to worry about black bears."

Meg laughs for a few seconds before she goes quiet. Castiel grins when she asks, "You're kidding, right?"

"I am not," he says, trying valiantly not to chuckle. "These mountains, and the Park, are well known for the black bear population." Meg squeaks, so he hurries to add, "But as long as you follow the guidelines the Rangers gave us, we'll be fine."

"Um, you don't happen to remember those rules, do you, Clarence?"

Castiel laughs as they continue up the trail to their intended campsite.

A few yards behind them, tucked into the deadfall, a red-furred wolf crawls out from under a fallen tree and shakes herself to rid her coat of bark. She trails the two humans, a scent tickling her nose.

She follows them until they make camp at one of the backcountry campsites and watches as they gather deadfall and build a fire in the pit. She cocks her head in confusion when they drag out weird brown bags, then huffs a laugh at the woman when she wrinkles her nose at the food contained in them.

"Oh, gods, Clarence. Why couldn't we have just gotten normal people food?"

Castiel shrugs. "This is normal people food. Just packaged up with the appropriate amount of calories for someone expending as many as we are with this trip."

Meg sniffs at the central part of her meal and blanches. "Smells like cat food."

Castiel laughs, the sound ringing through the forest. The red-furred wolf inches closer on her belly, drawn in by the camaraderie and the sound of the man's laugh. The wind shifts in her direction, and her nostrils flare.

_Alpha!_

_This man is her Alpha!_

She wiggles away from the campsite before she turns and runs further into the forest, the scent of Alpha in her nose.

What exciting news!

Charlie crashes out of the underbrush and tumbles into Dean's side, where he's seated next to the fire. They yelp, and Dean topples over, flailing and trying to stay out of the coals.

"Damn it, Charlie! What the hell," he grumbles as he pushes himself back up to a sitting position, ignoring the flare of pain going up his side.

 _"Sorry!”_ she says. _"Dean! I saw other shifters on the trail! There was an Alpha!"_

Dean blinks. "Wait, really?"

_"Yes! A man and a woman, Alpha and beta. They aren't mated, either, so maybe this Alpha could-"_

"Now hold on there, Charlie," Dean says, reaching out to his friend and pulling her into his lap. Even as big as she is in this form, he needs to calm her down, so she doesn't go tearing through the den and getting Abbadon's back up. Or any of her cronies, for that matter. "Charlie, listen to yourself. We don't know these shifters. Hell, no one even believes we live out here anyway. I highly doubt these shifters would follow a stranger and help out a pack they don't know, no matter how good their hearts are."

Charlie slumps in his lap, defeated. _"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry, Dean."_

"Hey now, none of that, sister-mine. I know you're just trying to save us."

Charlie huffs into his shirt. _"She hurt you again."_

Dean sighs. "She did."

Charlie grumbles. _"What for this time?"_

Dean shrugs. "Does it matter?" Hell, he wasn't even sure at this point what his supposed infraction was. The Alpha had stopped giving him real reasons a long time ago.

 _"No, I guess not."_ She picks her head up and licks his cheek. _"I'm sorry."_

"Yeah, me too, kiddo," he says as he lays his cheek on her head. They sit in silence for a while until a large dusty red-brown wolf stalks into the clearing.

 _"Omega,"_ she sneers at Dean. _"Where's my dinner?"_

Dean snorts and pushes Charlie behind him. "Not your omega, Abbadon, even if you are the Alpha of this pack. Get your own damn food, just like you make me get everything on my own. I don't serve you."

Abbadon tilts her head and narrows her eyes at Dean. _"You're awful feisty today,"_ she says as she stalks closer to the two omegas. _"Well, if you don't have dinner for me, I guess I'll just have to take yours."_

She whirls and crashes into the fire pit, snatching the rabbit he had snared and spitted to cook before destroying the pit, throwing the stones and coals everywhere. She turns and faces them again and leaps out of the coals. She swipes at him, ripping through the tunic and digging her claws into his abdomen.

 _"Think about this next time you talk back to your Alpha,"_ she sneers before turning her back on them and melting back into the forest.

Dean wraps his arm around his middle and clenches his teeth through the pain. Charlie darts out from behind him and over to his bedroll, knocking the coals away and stomping out the smolders. Dean stumbles over to her and sinks to the ground.

"Well, fuck," he says when he draws his hand away. "At least these are superficial." He takes off the shirt and rips it up into strips before a newly-human Charlie takes it away from him. She silently cleans his wounds with water from a canteen before using the remains of the tunic to bandage them.

"Dean-"

"I know Charlie. But where are we going to get help? Really?"

"But-"

Dean cuts her off again with a shake of his head. She narrows her eyes at him and huffs.

"Stubborn. And what if I told you he smells… right?"

Dean stills and looks her in the face, blinking. "What do you mean by that?"

Charlie bites her lip and shrugs. "It's hard to explain, but I feel like I've met him before? Sometime long ago, before I came to this pack with Mom. He smells like a friend, and Alpha, and home, and safety."

Dean's breath leaves him in a rush. "Like Mom did."

Charlie nods. "Yeah, like Mary did. Alpha. A good one."

"Alright, well. What are we gonna do about it?"

"Now that, I have no idea about. It's not like Abbadon's going anywhere any time soon."

Dean sighs. "True enough."

"Hey Cas, are you sure we're allowed to go off the trails?"

"Yes, Meg, it's perfectly fine. We just need to be careful, is all. Help's a long way away, even with the sat phones and such, so watch your step."

"Ugh, why did I let you talk me into this again?" she asks as she slips on a patch of moss. "I hate camping."

Castiel laughs. "To be honest, I was surprised when you agreed to come with me. I thought for sure I'd have to ask Zar, and he hates the outdoors in general."

"Yeah, that would have sucked for sure," she says as she climbs over a log. "Hey Cas, is that water I hear?"

Castiel stops walking, letting the sounds of the forest rush in. The tinkle of water playing over stone can be heard over the bird song. "It is."

"Ohh, now we're talking." She hefts her camera bag up and starts walking in the direction of the noise. "I can finally get some good shots of the water."

They make their way through the underbrush and break out of the trees at the edge of a small stream, and Castiel stops, taking in the stream bed. "Wow, this is really pretty."

"Sure is," Meg agrees as she unpacks her camera and starts framing shots. "I'm so glad you brought me with you, Cas."

Castiel snorts and leaves her to it, knowing it'll be a while before she comes out of the focus she's sunk herself in now that her face is behind a viewfinder. Meg's got a good eye, and there's a reason her photographs sell for top dollar.

He wanders downstream, watching the fish in the water leap and play. He sits down on a boulder and cradles his chin in his hand, letting his mind wander. A crashing behind him almost topples him into the water, and he whips around and crouches down into a fighting stance, teeth bared.

A young girl, dressed in what appears to be homemade clothing, is looking at him with wide eyes. She's a tiny thing with long brown hair and brown eyes. She shivers at the sight of his fangs.

Castiel relaxes, and his fangs retract to normal length. "I'm sorry you startled me." He stands up and dusts his hands off. He takes a step toward the girl, and she shuffles back toward the tree line.

"OK," Castiel says, holding his hands up. "I won't come any closer. Are you out here alone?"

She shakes her head, and he sees her eyes dart to the forest again. He doesn't know if this girl is lost or what, but he wracks his brain to come up with a way to keep her here so he can find out.

"What's your name, little one?" he asks as he squats, hoping that by being closer to her height, she won't run.

The girl chews on her bottom lip for a few seconds, and Castiel wonders if she can even understand him. "Zanna," she whispers.

"Zanna. That's a pretty name. Where did you come from, Zanna?"

She points to the forest, and Castiel snorts a laugh.

"I figured that much out, silly girl. I mean, where are your parents?"

Zanna's face falls. "They're dead."

"Oh, I'm so sorry, little one."

Zanna shrugs. "It's OK; you didn't know."

"ZANNA!" They jump as a cacophony of noise heralds the arrival of someone new, presumably looking for the little girl in front of him.

"Dean! I'm right here!" she calls out.

A man bursts from the brush and scoops her up. "Jesus Zan, how many times have I told you not to go wandering off like that? You never know what you'll-" the man's mouth snaps shut when he turns around and takes in the sight of Castiel, who is standing up from his crouch. "Who the hell are you?"

Castiel blinks at the hostility rolling off the other man. "Castiel."

Dean bares his teeth at him.

Castiel holds his hands up in the same gesture he'd given Zanna. "I'm not going to hurt you or your child, Dean. I'm just taking a hike through the Park." The scent of blood drifts over to him, and his nostrils flare. "Are you hurt?"

Dean snarls and takes a step back, setting Zanna down. He picks up a large branch and brandishes it at Castiel. "So what if I am?" Dean's nostrils flare as he scents, and what he finds must not be a good thing because he growls, low and threatening. " _Alpha_. Going to take what isn't yours?"

Castiel tilts his head to the side in confusion. The man in front of him doesn't smell like a shifter, at least not until the wind shifts and _wolf_ pings his brain. "You're a shifter?"

Dean rolls his eyes, taking another step back and herding Zanna back towards the trees. "Duh. How else would I know you're an Alpha?"

That's a fair point. Castiel follows suit in scenting the air. His eyes widen when his hindbrain informs him that not only is the man in front of him a shifter but an omega as well. One who is in distress. His alpha wakes up and nudges at Castiel to _do something._

"Dean?" Zanna says from behind the green-eyed shifter. "Dean, he's OK."

Dean raises an eyebrow and asks over his shoulder, "How do you know, kiddo?"

"He smells right."

Dean's other eyebrow raises to match, but as he opens his mouth to say something else, a massive brown blur crashes into Dean's side, knocking the branch from his hands and sending him to the ground. Zanna screams and runs to Castiel, hiding behind him. The brown blur stands up to reveal one of the biggest wolves he's ever seen. It turns to him and snarls, making the hair on his arms stand up. He bares his teeth at the wolf.

The wolf advances, and Castiel retreats, dropping as much as he can from his body as he goes. He needs to get out of as many of his clothes as he can before-

A tawny brown wolf jumps on the back of the brown one, diverting its attention away from Castiel. He hurries out of the rest of his clothing and drops back to Zanna.

"Zanna, run down the river that way," he points back the way he came, "and find a woman with wavy black hair. Bring her here. You can trust her; she's my friend."

Zanna nods, frantic before she turns and pelts up the path, and Castiel turns his attention back to the fight in front of him. He narrows his focus to Dean.

_"Dean, I can help-"_

_"This isn't your fight. Go while I've got him distracted."_

_"But-"_

_"GO!"_

Dean hesitates when Castiel shakes his head and crouches to shift, and the larger brown wolf takes advantage while he can. He darts in and grabs Dean's right foreleg, and the _crunch_ of a bone snapping reverberates through the air. Dean screams, and Castiel's alpha snarls at the sound and pushes him to shift faster than he ever has, his wolf scratching under his skin. He crashes into the brown wolf's side, sending him flying into a tree.

_"Dean!"_

_"Jesus Christ, Cas. What the hell are you- LOOK OUT!"_

Castiel whips around in time to be knocked off his feet by the aggressive wolf. He slides to a stop against the boulder, and pain makes his vision go white for a few seconds. He shakes his head to clear his vision and looks up in time to see a small grey and white wolf leap over the boulder and rake her claws across the brown wolf's face.

 _"Cas!"_ Meg cries as she swipes at the brown wolf, again and again, forcing him back to the tree line. _"What the fuck is going on?"_

 _"Can we discuss this when we aren't trying to defend ourselves from a wolf who is obviously trying to kill us?"_ Castiel snarks as he climbs to his feet and joins Meg in harassing the wolf away from them. Dean joins them on Castiel's right, and rocks begin pelting the brown wolf's hindquarters, likely a contribution from Zanna. Eventually, he's had enough and turns tail on them, darting back into the forest and running away as quickly as he can.

Dean drops to the ground with a whimper, and Zanna rushes over. "Dean!"

_"It's OK, pup. Gordon just got a lucky shot and bit my leg. I'll be fine."_

Zanna glares at Dean and huffs. "I'm not a baby, Dean. That looks worse than a bite."

Castiel shifts back and pulls on his boxers and jeans. "You're a very observant girl, Zanna. Alright, Dean, let me take a look at that leg."

Dean lifts his lips in a growl. _"No."_

Zanna smacks him on the nose, shocking Castiel and Dean both. "Stop it, Dean. I told you, he's OK. He smells right."

Dean huffs and lays silent when Castiel picks up his foreleg and examines it.

"Zanna, can you hold his head, please?" Castiel asks as Meg comes up and flops on Dean's side. She nods, and Castiel sets the leg drawing a whine from the wolf on the ground. "Alright, thank you. Dean, give that a few minutes to start knitting, and you'll be able to stand on it."

 _"I'm gonna go get my clothes and stuff and come back,"_ Meg says as she stands up. _"You three gonna be OK here?"_

Zanna sniffs the air. "Yeah, Gordon's gone."

Castiel raises his eyebrows but nods at Meg. "We'll be fine." Meg nods and wheels around, trotting back up the path along the stream.

"She's nice," Zanna says. Castiel looks back at the two shifters next to him and smiles at Zanna, patting Dean's head.

"She is. She's my best friend."

Dean grumbles.

"So, what was that all about?" Castiel asks as he gets up and walks over to the rest of his clothes, pulling everything back on and settling his pack on his back. "Why did that wolf attack you?"

"That's Gordon; he's an asshole."

 _"Zanna,"_ Dean admonishes. He shifts his head so he can look at Castiel and continues. _"She's right, but I wish she hadn't picked up that particular habit of mine."_

Castiel sniffs as he sits back down next to Zanna and Dean. Zanna smells like a wolf, but there's something about the pup that seems off. "Well, either way, I'd feel better if you came back to camp with us tonight so I can monitor your leg."

_"What are you, some kind of doctor?"_

Castiel huffs a laugh. "As a matter of fact, yes. A former Army medic, actually. I've been working as a nurse since I got out."

They sit silently until Meg returns, her camera safely packed up in its bag. "Alright, Clarence, what the hell is going on?"

Castiel stands up and dusts himself off. "Well, Zanna here came out of the forest, and then Dean was defending her against me, then this Gordon fellow attacked Dean."

"He's an asshole," Zanna pipes in, helpfully.

Dean huffs.

Meg raises an eyebrow and looks around. "Well, that explains everything. So now what?"

 _"What do you mean, 'so now what?'."_ Dean pipes up. _"Y'all are outsiders, and this is pack business."_

Meg scoffs. "I'm not standing aside when I know that betas are happy to beat up babies and omegas, and I'm not going to just walk away."

Dean snorts. _"It's not just the betas. The Alpha does it too."_

Castiel feels rage sweep through his body. Alphas are meant to protect the pack, not tear it down from the inside. "Dean-"

_"What? Is some random big, bad Alpha gonna come in and take over my pack? Man, how do you think we got into this mess in the first place?"_

Zanna smacks Dean's nose again. "Dean."

Dean grumbles under his breath, then sighs. _"Sorry. It's been a rough few years."_

"Well, at least let us escort you and Zanna home," Meg cuts in. Castiel looks over at his friend, and she shoots him a look of 'try and talk me out of this, I dare you'.

Zanna nods. "Yes, please. I'd like you to meet Charlie anyway." She stands up and starts poking at Dean's face until he heaves a sigh and drags himself upright. "Come on, Dean, lead the way."

_"You know the way home just as well as I do, pup."_

"True, but I'm not the one walking around on a broken leg."

Castiel has to admit she has a good point with that one, and Dean must agree since he doesn't come back with a rebuttal. Their escort turns and leads them into the forest.

They're almost to the cave that Dean's been sleeping in for the past however long they've been in this area when Jo bursts out of the treeline, scaring Castiel and Meg and instantly putting Dean's back up.

_"Jo, what's wrong?"_

_"Abbadon's after Mom!"_

Shit, fuck, and damn. _"Where's Bobby?"_ he asks as he forces himself into a run, following the blonde wolf in front of him. He can hear the others scrambling to keep up as they dodge through the trees. _"Zanna, show them to the clearing if you guys can't keep up."_

As they sped toward the clearing, Jo filled Dean in. _"Gordon came back to camp all fucked up, and Abbadon lost her shit. She just turned on Mom after Gordon told her that you were with an outside alpha and tried to tear her up. Bobby intervened at first, but then Christian and Ruby pulled him off, but then Benny had gotten there and-"_

 _"Jo, it's OK. You done good, kid,"_ he said as they broke through the brush to see Abbadon stalking Ellen and Benny. Gordon, Christian, and Ruby are locked in a fight with Ash, Bobby, Charlie, and Garth, his packmates barely holding their own against the other two betas and alpha.

 _"Jo, help them,"_ Dean said as he snarled and dove for Abbadon.

 _"Ah, the whore's back,"_ Abbadon sneers as she dodges Dean's attack at her flank. _"Come back to save your mommy?"_

Dean growls low in his chest and swipes at Abbadon's face, claw catching the corner of her eye. Blood oozes into her fur, and she growls at him, ducking her head.

A blur of black hits her left side, knocking her off balance and allowing Dean the chance to dart in and bash her face with a paw, dragging it across her eye and muzzle, raising four lines of blood. Abbadon shakes her head, clearing the blood from her eye, and leaps at Dean. Castiel shoves his head under Dean's chin, protecting his throat, and lashes out with his forepaw, knocking a leg out from under her. She stumbles, and Castiel darts out, catching her muzzle in his jaws.

 _"Dean, is this the Alpha you mentioned?"_ the black alpha asks, calm as anything.

_"Er, yes?"_

_"Good,"_ he growls and shoves the alpha down to the ground. Abbadon yelps high and loud, and her Beta, Gordon, slams into Castiel, knocking him away from the alpha. Castiel rolls and shakes himself off, and Dean is leaping over to check the black-furred alpha over when someone slams into his side, sending him flying towards Abbadon and Gordon.

 _"So the whore grew a pair of balls, huh?"_ she sneers as she stands up, shaking her fur out. _"So what, you thought you'd find an outsider to come in and run me off?"_

Dean struggles to his feet, listing to the side of his broken leg. _"Pretty sure you started that one, Abbadon. You know, with you murdering my folks in their sleep and all."_

She snorts. _"Useless and weak. They were nothing but-"_ Castiel's friend- Meg, he thinks- cuts her off, jumping behind her and grabbing a back leg.

 _"Oh my gods, enough with the monologuing,"_ she growls as she tugs on Abbadon's leg, making the alpha stumble. Ash and Bobby cut Christian and Ruby off from the alpha, driving them away with well-placed snaps to their faces. Ellen and Benny join in, snapping at their heels and lunging for their hamstrings when they don't move quickly enough. Charlie and Garth are harrying Gordon the same way, and Dean sees Castiel get his feet under him again. The black alpha stalks over to Abbadon, head lowered and growling low in his chest.

 _"We came only to return him to his home to_ this," he snarls. Abbadon's ears go flat against her head as she backs away from the larger wolf, following the tugging Meg is still doing to her leg. _"You are no Alpha. You are nothing more than a sham. This pack is in tatters, and it's on your head."_ He leaps forward, snapping at Abbadon's face, making her flinch and back up more. Dean limps over to Castiel.

 _"Get out, Abbadon. I'd rather take my chances with an outsider than let you continue to terrorize this pack."_ She bares her teeth at him, and Castiel snaps his teeth at her again in retaliation. Meg tugs on her leg again, and with a yip, Abbadon turns and runs past her other packmates. The other three break and run with her, the pack harrying them and snapping at their heels until they disappear into the woods. Once they are far enough away, the pack circles back and meets back in the clearing, circling Dean and nuzzling him.

"Dean!" Zanna cries, running out of the trees and crashing into him. She wraps her arms around his neck and buries her face into the fur on his neck. "I was so scared," she whispers.

Dean pushes through the pain to shift back to his human form and pulls the ten-year-old into his lap. "I'm sorry, pup," he says as he cradles her with his good arm.

Charlie crashes to her knees next to Dean and throws her arms around his shoulders, causing him to cry out. She jerks back, a look of horror on her face. "Dean? What happened?"

"Gordon did," he grits out. "Followed Zanna and me to the stream and attacked me there when we were distracted by tall-dark-and-handsome back there." He points over his shoulder to Cas, who's still hovering with Meg at the edge of the impromptu puppy-pile in wolf form.

Charlie looks over and grins. "Well, get in here, you two. If it weren't for you, that bitch would still be here." She waves them over, and Meg bounds over, sticking her head under Charlie's arm and licking her cheek. Cas is slower, head lowered in submission.

 _"I'm sorry if I've caused any harm,"_ he says quietly, attempting to hide his bulk behind Dean.

Dean snorts, and Charlie smacks his arm. He hisses at her in retaliation. Charlie looks around Dean and tries to catch Castiel's gaze.

"Alpha." And it's the title, not the subgender, that she's using. Dean feels the hair on his arm stand up when Cas' fur brushes against his back when he looks up at the redhead. "Alpha, you didn't cause any harm by doing what you did. On the contrary, we've been trying to get rid of her and her goons for as long as she's been here."

"Hell, she ran off half the pack too, don't forget about that," Dean grumbles, thinking of his brother and his brother’s mate out in the Smokies somewhere.

He hopes they are safe and doing OK.

His attention is dragged back to the conversation by Benny's gruff question: "So now what?"

Dean looks around his pack and sighs. "We really should move, make it harder for her to find us again. You know she's just going to come back as soon as Cas and Meg leave."

"No," Zanna croons from his lap. "Alpha can't leave."

The adults - wolf and human - look at each other in shock. After all, how do you respond to that?


	3. Chapter 3

The pack huddles around the central fire pit heads put together in conversation, while Cas and Meg hang back at the edge of the forest. The two city wolves are still in their canine forms.

"Alright, so now what?" Benny asks. "Abbadon's gone, which is great, but we still need an Alpha for the pack."

Jo looks over at the alpha. "Anglin' for the job?"

Benny snorts. "Hell no, cher. Just pointing out the facts."

"Well, you and I are the only two alphas left in the pack. Everyone else was killed or run off," Bobby growls.

Dean flinches at the reminder. He hugs Zanna closer to his chest and casts a glance over his shoulder at Castiel, tuning the rest of the pack out. He already knows where this conversation is going, and he hopes the strange alpha is ready to take on the pack he helped liberate.

"Hey," Charlie says softly, bumping her shoulder to his. "You OK?"

"Not really," he whispers back. "Haven't been for a while now, you know?"

Charlie smiles sadly and lays her cheek on his shoulder. "I know. But I really think it's gonna be OK."

Dean snorts softly. "Yeah? How do you figure, Red? We've got a strange alpha that's gonna take over the pack, half of the pack is still _missing_ , and I guarantee that isn't the last we've seen of Abbadon and her cronies."

"Yeah, but we can at least go home now," she says. And she's got a point. Before Abbadon, they hadn't lived in the park full time; they had a homestead outside of Gatlinburg that butted up to the Park. They worked, played, farmed, and were generally self-sufficient.

But that was _before._

"Hey," Charlie says, breaking him out of his memories. "They're wrapping up."

Dean looks over at the two elders that remain of the pack, Bobby and Ellen. While not a mated pair, they were good friends of the Alpha pair before…

Well. Before.

Bobby nods and looks over at Dean. "Dean, son, what do you think?"

Dean lifts a shoulder. "Doesn't matter to me. We need an Alpha, and neither of you is willing - or able - to step up." He looks behind him at the two wolves standing near the trees. "At least this one doesn't seem like he's just in it for the power, or whatever. I mean, at his age and strength? I'm surprised he doesn't already have his own pack." He looks back at Bobby and Ellen. "So, I guess we don't have much of a choice, you know?"

Ellen crosses the clearing and kneels in front of Dean, taking his hand. "Dean, we _do_ have a choice. We don't have to take on this alpha."

Dean scoffs and looks away. "Pretty sure we do, El. He's won us by rite, anyway."

" _And it's a Rite I'm passing on,"_ Castiel says. _"If you don't want me to stay, to lead, then I won't."_ The black wolf paces forward, the grey following closely behind. _"But if you all_ want _me to stay, for us to stay, then I won't say no."_ He looks up at Dean. _"I've been packless for a long time, but not for any other reason other than I didn't want to take one over by some backward rite. My mother taught me, our whole pack, better than that."_

Dean blinks at the black wolf, looking him straight in the eyes. "And your life? Are you just willing to toss it all to the side and move out here to the middle of nowhere to lead us? A city wolf?"

Castiel huffs a laugh. _"I'd be foolish to say yes, now wouldn't I? Someone needs to earn money for the pack for things that you cannot obtain yourselves out here in the woods. Clothing, for starters. Tools. Better shelters."_

Dean's estimation of the alpha in front of him rises with each word. "Alright, Alpha," and the emphasis on the term isn't lost on the rest of his pack. "Alright. First things first, though, where do you actually live? Cause if it ain't close, this is going to get real awkward, real fast."

As it turns out, Castiel and Meg don't live that far from the Park at all. Well, Meg doesn't live in the area at all since she lives in Nashville, but Castiel lives and works in Sevierville. When the rest of the pack wandered off to gather their things, ready to be able to finally go home, Castiel hung back with Dean and Zanna.

"Where are the rest of the pups?" Castiel murmurs, careful not to wake the sleeping pup in Dean's lap.

"Don't have any," Dean murmurs back, hugging Zanna close and smiling when she snuffles into his neck. "As you can tell, we're pretty small, and not a whole lot of breeding pairs here. Plus..." He trails off, thinking of the previous Alpha. Castiel must catch on, nodding in reply.

"That makes sense." He smooths his hand over one of Zanna's poofs, chuckling when her hair springs back to its former shape. "She's a beautiful child."

Dean feels his features soften as he looks down at the cub in his lap. "Yeah, she is," he says as he untangles a few twigs from her hair. "She's a great kid, honestly. I'm so glad we found her."

Castiel quirks an eyebrow at him in question, but Dean shakes his head. "Story for another time, Alpha. Right now, we need to get packed up and back to your camp."

Castiel nods and stands up, offering Dean his hand. He takes it gratefully, happy for the assistance with Zan's sleeping form plastered to his body. He shifts her to one side as he stands and nods to Castiel.

"I'm going to go pack up my stuff. We don't have much, weren't allowed to with _them_ in charge."

"Would you like some help? Meg's gone to lend her assistance, and I'd be happy to extend the same to you."

Dean blinks at Castiel a few times, then shrugs. "Yeah, man, that would be fine. Just my stuff and Zan's since she tends to stick with me." He turns away, leading the other wolf back toward his little cave. As they walk, Zanna stirs.

"Dean?" she slurs. "Wha' 'appen?"

He hugs her closer. "'S OK pup. We're goin' home."

Zanna yawns. "Not a pup, silly wolf." Dean can tell when his words register with her; she sits up a little, and her scent brightens. "We're going home?"

Dean chuckles as she starts to squirm and lets her down. "Yeah, pup. Cas back there ran Abbadon off, and the pack decided that it was time for us to get back."

Zanna squeaks with glee and dashes off through the underbrush. Castiel looks concerned when Dean looks back at him, so he waves the alpha off. "She just found out we're getting to go home. She'll meet us there and probably be mostly packed by the time we get there."

"Ah. So, where is it that you all lived? Er, live."

"You know where Craftsman's Row is?" Castiel nods, so Dean continues. "Around about out there. We've got a homestead out there that backs up to the Park. At least, we did before this shit-show."

Castiel hums. "I'm sure that it's still there."

Dean shrugs. "Well yeah, sure. It's been in the pack for generations. But taxes and all that, well. Who knows what the county's done with it since we've been missing the past two years."

"We'll see when we get there, I suppose," Castiel murmurs. Dean sighs in agreement.

It's surprisingly easy to get the pack of nine wolves packed up and ready to go back to civilization.

It's not like they have much, after all.

They decide to have everyone but Dean, Charlie, and Zanna go with Meg back to the homestead in wolf form, leaving everyone's belongings packed away in Cas' little Mazda SUV. For a plastic car, it could hold a surprising amount of crap. The pack would get everything up and running again, Meg there to smooth the way if needed since she's still got all her ID and such.

Just one more thing that they'll have to replace.

Dean sighs as he packs up everything but the aloe plant. He smiles a little and pokes the baby spikes.

"Dee?"

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"When we get home, you're gonna help me with my hair, right?"

"Well yeah. What do I look like, a slacker? Of course, we're gonna get your hair all nice and moisturized." He tugs on the hair of one of her poofs. "You wanna keep this style or do something else?"

"Can I just let it be poofy for a while? No stretchy bands?"

Charlie chuckles, and Dean sighs. "Tell you what. Let's get you up to see Miss Missouri first and see what she says. Deal?"

Zanna's eyes light up at the mention of the kindly hairstylist that had been Dean's saving grace when Zanna's hair had started getting long enough to need care. Missouri Mosley had taken one look at the bird's nest Dean had managed to create in her hair, looked at him, then promptly shooed everyone out of her shop so she could teach Dean the ins and outs of taking care of Zan's hair properly. They've been friends ever since, and Zanna adores her.

He must have a deal since Zanna's only response is to squeal and run off to explore the campsite.

"You know you're gonna have to take all the stuff up to the shop when you go, right? To show Missouri just how creative she got so she could take care of her hair?"

Dean chuckles. "Yeah, I planned on it. Even planned on taking Bob with us."

"You named your aloe plant, Bob?" Castiel asks as he comes around the back of the car, folded up tent in hand.

"That does sound like something he'd do, but no, not this time. Zanna named it after Dean found it and brought it back to camp so she could use it on her hair," Charlie supplies as she helps Castiel load the tent.

"Her hair?" Castiel asks as he settles everything and closes the hatch.

"Her hair has to stay moisturized, or it breaks. Aloe was the only thing we could get our hands on and keep around out here."

"Ah, that makes sense. Plus, it's good for cuts and scrapes."

Dean removes himself from the conversation and wanders out to a break in the trees. He sits down, taking in the area that he's been forced to live in the last two years. As he commits everything to memory, Zanna joins him and sits down next to him, pressing her little body into his side. He puts an arm around her and squeezes her tight.

"It's gonna be OK, Dee."

"I know, kiddo. It's just tough, you know?"

Zanna nods in agreement. "But now we have Alpha, and we are going home. I mean, it's gotta be better than it was before, right?"

Dean hums. "I sure hope so, little cub."

The houses are in surprisingly good shape for laying dormant for the last two years.

Thankfully, the electric company was sympathetic to the pack's plight and waived everything from the time they went missing to now, making sure the power was back on as quickly as they could manage. The homestead is on well water, so Benny heads out to prime it and gets the water clear.

The rest of the pack spreads out through the buildings, Meg directing everyone in a different direction. Garth is put in charge of stripping all of the beds of their linens, even those that won't be used shortly, and getting everything set up to wash. Ellen disappears into the kitchen to take stock of what's left, and Jo goes with her so they can start making lists of things that need to be replaced. Ash heads into an office labeled with "Dr. Badass", saying he needs to get back online ASAP so he can check the pack's accounts and make sure Abbadon hadn't been able to get their money. Bobby grumbles about the state of everything, and Meg leaves him to it.

She pulls out her cell and sends a quick text to Cas, letting him know that everything is set up whenever they get the camp packed up before placing a call to her employer.

"What," the grumbly voice of her boss, Crowley, answers.

"Lovely to talk to you too, boss. I'm taking a few more days off."

"Oh, for the love of- what did you get lost in the backwoods or something?"

Meg chuckles and looks around at the pack bustling around her. "Nah. Just found some people that need some help is all." The line is silent, so she pulls the phone away from her ear to make sure the signal didn't drop. "Crowley?"

He grunts. "Yeah, sure, whatever." The line goes dead, and Meg laughs out loud at her curmudgeon boss.

A few hours later has the main house clean as a whistle and the kitchen producing smells that have everyone's mouth watering. The pack converges in the dining room, everyone helping to get the food out of the kitchen and table set before devouring everything and dispersing again.

Meg blinks in surprise. "Is it always like that?"

Ellen huffs a laugh. "Sure is. It's even worse when..." She trails off, and a flash of sadness passes over her face. Meg stays silent, letting Ellen work through the pain. "Anyway," Ellen says with forced brightness, "Come help me in the kitchen if you don't mind. That many people create more dishes than should be legal." Meg grins and pushes away from the table, eager to help.

Ash wanders out of his office just as they are putting away the last of the dishes. "So, good news from the money front. Two years of not touching anything has left us in pretty good shape, even without money coming in. We won't go broke getting ourselves back up and running."

Meg huffs out a sigh of relief. "That is good news. I know that I have a little I would have loaned you, but I'm not sure it would have put a dent in even restocking this kitchen, let alone anything else that needs to be replaced."

Ash slaps her on the shoulder. "Awe, thanks, Meg. But for real, we're OK on that front. However, getting our legal identities back is going to be a bit trickier since Abbadon did her damnedest to make it look like we never existed."

"Lemme guess," Meg muses, "every one of your documents is gone?"

"Bingo," he says, shooting her finger guns as he collapses into one of the chairs he brought with him from the dining room. "And without at least something, we're gonna have a hard time getting set back up."

Meg chews on her lip as she thinks, running through her less savory contacts in her head. "What if I said I could get you in contact with someone that could at least set you up with fake IDs until you can get the official documents?"

Ellen and Ash cast a glance at her, eyebrows in their hair. "Really?" Ash asks.

Meg nods once. "Yeah, I've got a friend, well an acquaintance, really, but I know someone who could help if I ask."

Ash narrows his eyes at her, obviously thinking it over. He nods slowly. "Yeah, OK. That would be helpful, thank you, Meg."

"Awesome. Just get me the types of ID you'll need and the details to flesh them all out, and I'll get in contact with him as soon as I have it."

Any further conversation is cut off by the sounds of tires on the gravel. Ellen throws the towel on the counter and rushes out the door, sweeping Zanna up in her arms as soon as she's out of the car. The converse in murmurs for a few seconds before Zanna hops down and zooms into the house.

Ellen chuckles and shakes her head as she throws her arms around Dean and Charlie. "She's off to see her room and make sure everything is where she left it."

Meg draws Castiel to the side as the pack works on getting everyone's belongings sorted and handed out to the correct person.

"So it looks like they have an OK set up here. Everything is up and running and all that. We do have a problem, though."

Cas eyes her warily. "What is it?"

"They have absolutely no proof they exist." Castiel's eyebrow twitches up, and she continues. "Apparently, the old pack leader had one of her cronies come here and gather every bit of important paperwork they had and took off with it. It's going to take a while to get them back on their feet."

"Fuck," Castiel breathes as he runs a hand through his hair. "And with Zanna being found as an orphan, that's going to take even longer."

Meg nods. "I can get them fakes, for now, assuming the pack will let me have their personal information. I can get Frank to do it for me."

"He won't be cheap," Castiel muses.

Meg shuffles her feet. "Yeah," she draws out the word, making him look at her in confusion. "I was kinda hoping you could get the Novak pack to help out with that."

Castiel sighs but nods his head in agreement. "I need to call Mom anyway, get her to take on all of this."

"What, your new Alphaship?" Meg teases. Cas sticks his tongue out at her, and Meg sobers. "It's a lot to take on when all we were expecting to do was take a few days and enjoy the Smokies."

Cas shrugs. "It is, but I can't say I regret it, you know?" Meg nods her understanding, and he continues, "They needed the help, and we were there…”

"Well. Let's get everyone settled in for the night, and we'll deal with the rest in the morning."


	4. Chapter 4

The pack settles back in over the next few days, everyone calming down and adjusting to being back in civilization. Most of the pack is just happy to finally be home, but Ellen is very obviously in her element being back in the kitchen and feeding everyone again.

Zanna's trip to the hairstylist went about as well as Dean had expected it to. It started with Missouri giving him the stink eye, followed by the horror of learning where they had been, and ended with her giving them a big hug each. She then ushered Zanna into the chair to start her work. She pinned Dean to the spot when he tried to duck out and told him in no uncertain terms that he was to sit his butt down in one of the other chairs because his hair was just as bad, thank you, and she'd get to him next.

So yeah, back to normal.

The pack settles into a new normal with their missing members still missing and getting used to their two new members still learning how to fit in with the rest of them.

It's surprisingly easy.

Everyone is thrilled with the change of leadership, so Castiel already had a leg up on Abbadon, but as the days march by, he proves himself over and over again.

Some of it's in little ways, like how he plays with Zanna (who has discovered having a new playmate is just _awesome_ ) or helps Ellen in the kitchen, not letting her chase him out of the room.

Some of it's in significant ways, like working with Ash and Meg to get the pack new ID cards and how Benny and Bobby defer to him seemingly without a care.

And then, of course, Castiel went and solidified his stance with the pack with his steadfast acceptance of Zanna's animal. He hadn't batted an eye when she shifted into her mountain lion form for the first time in front of him. He simply shifted into his wolf form, crouched down with his tail waving in the air, and invited her to play.

And _then,_ there's Dean's wolf scratching at the back of his brain, insisting that this alpha really is the real deal and he should lock the other wolf down with a mating ASAP, thank you very much.

Dean's rather crabby with his other half at the moment.

He huffs and turns away from the window where he's been watching Zanna play in the yard, amusing herself by chasing butterflies. She's practicing her shifting on the fly by running after them in her human form and attempting to change in mid-jump after she leaps at them. It's cute to watch, and Dean's glad that she can find ways to keep herself occupied, but he hopes that the ghosts return soon now that Abbadon's gone. He's tired of seeing Zanna so lonely.

Dean rubs his sternum as he sits down at his desk, going over the paperwork Ash had left him to transfer the pack accounts from his parents to him. Castiel had insisted that the pack retain ownership of everything, not wanting anything to happen to them if they ever decided that he was no longer a good fit for the pack. Truth be told, Dean's glad Castiel allowed the pack to retain their independence. Maybe shit like what happened before can be avoided.

Dean pulls the next stack of papers over to him and closes his eyes when he sees the name of the person this packet is for.

_Sam Winchester._

He blows out a breath and gets back to work filling in the blanks so that his baby brother can get back to being a legal resident.

If he ever comes back, that is.

Castiel squints his eyes at the red-headed omega. "I'm sorry, you want to what, now?"

Charlie shrugs. "Zanna wants to go on a run, I kinda want to go with her, but we need someone to escort us since I'm unmated and she's just a pup."

"Cub," Zanna grumbles from her spot beside Castiel.

"Sorry, right. Cub. Anyway, please?" She draws out the word, _please_ , hands clasped under her chin and eyes as wide as she can get them.

Castiel rolls his eyes. "Yes, alright, fine," he says as Charlie starts jumping up and down in glee. "Let me just tell Ellen so that no one else worries if they go looking for us," he finishes as Charlie hustles Zanna out the door to their rooms.

Castiel shakes his head in bemusement as he heads towards the kitchen to let Ellen know where they are going. Message delivered, he ducks into his room and shucks his clothing before shifting and slipping out the front door. The red wolf and puma cub are already waiting for him, and Zanna leaps at him, licking his muzzle before whirling around and streaking off into the forest. Charlie and Castiel follow her at a more sedate pace.

_"So, how are you settling in?"_

Castiel side-eyes the omega for a moment before answering. “ _OK, I suppose.”_

 _"Uh-huh,"_ she drawls. " _No, really. How's it going?"_

Castiel huffs. " _It's fine. I never expected to have a pack, let alone become the Alpha of one, so it's been an adjustment. I imagine it's been an adjustment for the pack too."_

Charlie hums as they follow Zanna's trail. " _True,"_ she says. " _But to be honest, we haven't been this settled since, well, you know. Before."_ She's quiet for a few moments, then snorts. " _Hell, we haven't been this settled since before Dean presented as omega."_

Castiel raises a mental eyebrow. " _Dean? Why?"_

_"How much do you know about packs out this way? How we normally operate?"_

Castiel thinks for a few moments, dragging what he knows of Appalachia from the depths of his mind. _"From what I remember, the packs of this area have always been very traditional. They follow strict lines of succession, passing on the Alpha role from family lines as much as possible."_ He cocks his head to the side and snaps at a fly buzzing around his ear. _"Why would Dean being an omega cause unrest, though?"_

 _"You've_ met _Dean, right?"_ Castiel huffs as Charlie chuckles. _"But really, if you didn't already know Dean's designation and you'd just met him for the first time, what's your first impression of him?"_

 _"He's fearless,"_ Castiel says instantly. " _He's strong, brash, brave, takes nothing from anyone..."_ he trails off when Charlie nods her agreement. _"I'd... think he's an alpha."_

 _"Winner winner, chicken dinner!"_ Charlie crows as she jumps over a log. " _His mom, the previous Alpha, expected her first-born to also be an alpha. And when he didn't, she shrugged and kept on teaching him how to not only be an alpha but an_ Alpha _. Some of the other packs in the area didn't take too kindly to that."_

Castiel chews on this information while Charlie and Zanna play in a grotto the youngster had found. An acorn pings off the side of his head, shaking him out of his thoughts. He looks over at Zanna, who giggles and darts into the brush. In return, he grumbles at her, an invitation to play. She bounds back out and leaps onto his back, shrieking in glee when he rolls over and tries to squish her under his body. After a few minutes of the impromptu wrestling match, Charlie joins in, switching sides at will until finally, all three are spent. The flop down together in a pile, gasping for breath.

 _"Man_ ," Charlie huffs, " _I haven't played like that in years."_

Zanna flicks her tail on Charlie's nose. _"That's 'cause you're_ old _, Aunt Charlie."_

 _"You know, normally I'd take offense to that,"_ Charlie huffs, snapping at Zanna's tail, _"but right now, I'm too wiped out to care."_

Castiel snorts at their antics, watching as Zanna flicks her tail in and out of range of Charlie's jaws. _"Charlie?"_ he says after a few flicks of the cub's tail. _"Can you expand upon what you mentioned earlier?"_

_"Sure. Which part?"_

_"Dean's mother? How was she as Alpha? How did she run the pack?"_

The three of them roll to their feet and start back to the homestead while Charlie regales them with stories about the former Alpha.

 _"Mary was a real bad-ass, you know?"_ she says as they break free from the tree line. They start crossing the field at the back of the house as she continues. _"I mean, yeah, she was all Alpha, but she never let it harden her, not like other shifters I've met."_ Castiel nods. He knows the type- his brother Lucifer had been a perfect example before his mother had knocked some sense into him. " _Anyway, Mary never took shit from no one, least of all other packs that wanted to stick their noses where they didn't belong. When Dean presented as omega, she firmly told the other packs that came sniffin' around off. She wasn't gonna let her baby be sold off to no alpha, she said more than once."_

_"So why the tension in the pack?"_

Charlie snorts. _"John wasn't as keen on letting Dean find his own way or mate."_

 _"Aw, are we talking about my father, the Alpha wannabe?"_ Dean's voice breaks in followed swiftly by the wolf himself. Charlie shakes her head, making her ears flap against her skull.

_"Nah, not really. He made a brief appearance while I was tellin' Cas here about Mary."_

A wave of affection colors Dean's voice. _"Ma was a bad-ass, wasn't she?"_

Castiel's heart breaks for the omega at that moment. He can’t imagine what it feels like to lose a parent the way Dean did. He makes a mental note to call his mom before he goes to bed, just so he can hear her voice.

Castiel is smiling and shaking his head at his mother as he ends their call later that night. Despite the late hour, Naomi Novak was thrilled to talk to her youngest. Castiel smiles at the reminder of the updates she'd passed along.

A knock at the door jolts him from his thoughts. "It's open," he says, and Dean's scent wafts in, making him (and his alpha) sit up straighter on the bed. "Dean, how can I help you?"

"Just wanted to check in," Dean says from the door.

"Seems to be a common theme today," Castiel says, dryly, and shakes his head at Dean's questioning glance. "Come in, Dean. This is your house, after all."

Dean slinks into the room and gingerly takes a seat on the bed a few feet away from Castiel. His wolf takes notice, and he can’t help but mentally rolls his eyes at the beast's antics.

"Truly, I'm fine, Dean. Honestly, I should be asking _you_ that question, not the other way around."

Dean looks down at his hands. Castiel can see now that the man is picking at his cuticles, likely from nerves. Dean shakes his head. "'M fine Cas. Good to be home."

Castiel squints at the omega. "Somehow, I think you're not telling me the whole story." He sweeps his arm out. "This house is half empty, and it's not the only one on the property." Dean swallows, and his fingers clench in his lap, turning the nail beds white from the force of his grip. Castiel reaches out and covers Dean's hands with one of his own. "Dean. Please talk to me."

Dean stays quiet for a few moments, and Castiel starts to pull away when Dean starts speaking. "A few months after, you know, about half the pack left. My alpha brother and his mate were the ringleaders. They took Garth's mate and all the pups with them."

"Except one."

Dean nods. "Yeah. Zanna refused to go with them. They didn't have time to argue with her, so they left."

"So why didn't you all leave?"

Dean swallows again. "I couldn't. Neither could Charlie. We're both unmated omegas, and the pack bonds are too strong, not to mention the danger we'd put the others in. Benny, Bobby, and the others refused to leave us behind. Even Garth was happy to stay behind to protect us."

"From Abbadon." It's not a question.

"Yeah," Dean croaks. "We figured that we'd be enough to keep their attention on us. Keep them from going after the Ghosts."

Castiel sucks in a breath. "They went rogue?"

"Kinda had to. Sammy, my brother, he's still young, you know? He's an alpha, but he doesn't want to be Alpha. Not for a long time, anyway. We always thought-" he shrugs. "We always hoped that I'd find a mate and take over the pack like Mom always wanted me to."

Castiel hesitates, then asks, "Did Abbadon- did she-"

Dean looks up sharply, gold flashing in his eyes. " **No** ," he snarls. " **We wouldn't let her**."

Castiel blinks slowly at the sight of Dean's wolf peeking through his eyes, and a rumble low in his chest soothes the other wolf. "Good. That's good, omega. You've done a good job protecting Dean and the pack."

Acknowledgment flashes in Dean's eyes, and the gold fades away. He shakes his head in answer to Castiel's question. "No. She tried a few times, but no." He shudders. "She got close once, but uh-"

"Your wolf stopped her."

Dean nods. "Anyway. You're nothin' like her, so I'm not worried about the pack anymore. I just wish there was a way to tell them it's safe to come home. But without the pack bonds, I don't know what to do. The pack trusts you, you know." Castiel is a little thrown by the topic change, but Dean forges on. "Hell, I mean, they love you. Even Ellen and Bobby like you. You've been good for us. And not just the obvious, getting control of the pack from Abbadon. Zanna absolutely adores you."

Castiel smiles at that. "Zanna's a good cub. I can see why you are smitten with her."

"Yeah." Dean's eyes crinkle at the edges from the blinding smile he has on his face. "She's pretty awesome."

After his little talk with Cas, Dean seems to settle back into his skin a little. The pack heaves a sigh of relief.

The weeks pass by, and everyone returns to the work they had been doing _before_. Their replacement paperwork comes in, and life returns to normal.

Well, as normal as it can be with half the pack still missing and two new members, anyway.

Dean's wolf, however, won't leave him alone. The more he gets to know the Alpha, the more convinced his wolf (and the rest of the damn pack, it seems) is that Cas is his mate. Which, yeah, Dean's not _blind_. The Alpha is easy on the eyes. He's good with the pack, even Benny, with his occasional alpha posturing. He makes sure that every pack member who needs, or wants, time with him gets it, even after a twelve-hour shift at the hospital. And Zanna, well. Zanna adores him. Dean's pretty sure the feeling is mutual. And Dean can't help but melt a little at how Cas treats _him_.

Dean _knows_ how most alphas view omegas. At best, they are treasured mates. At worst, they are nothing but a hole to shove their knots into whenever they want. Cas, though? Cas treats him like a person.

A partner.

 _Anything_ that impacts the pack, good or bad, the Alpha seeks him out for advice before considering making a decision. And usually, those decisions are made as a pack instead of Cas doing it alone.

And to make matters worse (or better, depending on who you ask), his _scent_. Dean's never met an alpha, other than his mom, that he'd been scent compatible with. Not even Sam's scent screamed _home/safe/loved_ at him like Cas' does.

All in all, the Alpha is pretty perfect, and Dean doesn't know what to do with that.

"Dean?"

He looks up from his coffee mug to see Zanna hovering in the doorway of the kitchen. Dean grins and pushes far enough away from the table so that Zanna can crawl into his lap. She runs across the floor and clambers up, and he rubs his chin over the top of her head, renewing their scent bond as she snuggles into him. "Heya kiddo. Couldn't sleep?" She shakes her head, face buried in his collar. "No? Wanna tell me what's up?" She's quiet for a few minutes, so Dean lets her be, sipping his coffee.

"Is Cas gonna go away?" she asks in a small voice. "Like Mama did?"

Dean's arms tighten around the little cougar. "No, sweetheart. At least I hope not. Is that what's bothering you?"

"Sorta." She draws back, and Dean looks down, taking in her tear-streaked face. "I had a bad dream, but this time it was Cas instead of mama Mary."

Dean closes his eyes as the memory of his mother's body, torn to shreds, flashes through his mind. He's just grateful Zanna hadn't seen the actual fight.

It had been an ambush, pure and simple. Mary had just gotten home from work and stepped out of her truck when Abbadon and Gordon attacked her, pulling her down and ripping her throat out before she could scream for help.

Dean opens his eyes and gives himself a mental shake to dispel the image of his mother's fallen body. "Zanna, I- I can't promise nothing's gonna happen to Cas. Or anyone else in the pack, for that matter. But, I can promise that we are gonna do everything we can to keep that from happening ever again, OK?"

The pup leans back again and casts a wary glance at Dean. "Promise?"

"Yeah, kiddo," he says as he hugs her close again. "I promise."

They snuggle for a few more moments until Dean finishes his coffee. Zanna's stomach rumbles, and Dean grins down at her. "Let's get you something to eat."

After breakfast and sending Zanna off to pester Garth, he goes in search of Charlie and Ash. He finds them in the computer room.

"Hey guys, got a minute?"

"You know, "Charlie muses to Meg as they watch Benny and Zanna play, "We never really expected you to stick around here."

Meg raises an eyebrow and casts a look at the redhead beside her. "Why not?"

"You just seem more like the city-wolf type. Didn't peg you for someone who'd enjoy the outdoors."

Meg throws her head back in a hearty laugh. "Alright, fair enough, I guess. You _do_ know what I do for a living, though, right?"

"Well yeah, you're a photographer for a newspaper in Nashville, right?"

Meg inclines her head in agreement. "While that is technically true, that's not all I am." At Charlie's questioning glance, she grins. "Newspaper just pays the bills. I'm a nature and wildlife photographer."

Charlie's eyes light up. "That is so _cool_! I bet being a shifter means you've been able to get some wicked shots."

"Not as many as I'd like," Meg says sadly. "Being and working alone, I haven't been able to rig up a good system to carry system for my wolf. Anything that requires jumping and climbing to get to is out because it jolts the equipment too much."

Charlie's face grows thoughtful. "You kinda need an assistant, huh? Someone to help you in and out of a rig for your wolf."

Meg snorts. "I need a rig for my wolf, first. It's not something I can exactly order on Amazon, you know."

Charlie chews on her lip for a moment. "You know, I bet we could modify a harness. Ohh, or better yet, get one that they use for the Army dogs!"

Meg's jaw goes slack. "Come again?"

"Yeah!" Charlie sits up and whips her phone out, tapping on it furiously. "I bet you we can order one and figure out how to attach your bags and everything! Oh," she stops typing and looks at Meg. "Erm, that is, if you are OK with it."

Meg looks at Charlie, a hopeful expression splashed across the redhead's face. "I might be missing something here, Red. What part of this isn't OK? Having a rig that my wolf could carry and be able to get to place humans can't?"

"Um, well, you'll probably need someone to strap you into it."

Meg blinks. "Kinky, but fair point. I mean, in all honesty, I go out alone 'cause I don't _know_ anyone. Having a partner-" she cuts herself off when Charlie starts wiggling around. "Do you have ants in your pants or somethin'?"

"Sorry, no, I'm just really excited, cause like, Benny and me both like going out on hikes all the time, and Benny knows all the best waterfalls, and I'd bet he'd _love_ to show you around the area, and-"

"Cher, what in the world's got you all worked up?" Benny asks as he and Zanna sit down on the other side of the two women, baseball and glove in hand.

Charlie turns to Benny, flapping her hands at him and smacking him in the arm and shoulder. "Guess what Meg does?"

"Ow! Cher, whatever it is ain't worth beating me up over it." He grabs her hands and looks at Meg. "You want to fill me in on what she's so excited over?"

"I'm a wildlife and nature photographer, and you know all the good spots around here humans can't get to."

"Ah, that makes sense," Benny says, blue eyes twinkling as Charlie finally frees her hands.

"Yep! And we might have found her a harness to wear in her wolf form so she can take her camera with and it not get messed up! Look!" Charlie shoves her phone at Benny, who goes crosseyed before he manages to get the phone so he can look at what's on the screen.

He whistles. "Damn, that's a mighty fine harness, Red." He shows the phone to Meg, who blanches when she sees the price tag.

"Oh, no. No way in hell I'm paying that much for something to strap my stuff to. That's way too much!"

"Too late!" Charlie sing-songs as she snatches the phone back. "I already got it!"

"Charlie! No!" Meg lunges for the phone in Charlie's hand.

"Charlie _yes_!" Charlie crows as she jumps up and starts running for the main house. "I got it for yooooou and no give-backsies!" She screams a laugh when Meg jumps up and gives chase, ducking into the house and cackling as she leads the black-haired beta on a chase through the kitchen and the rest of the ground floor.

Outside, Benny and Zanna just look at each other and grin.

"What the- CHARLINE BRADBURY GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN!"

Castiel drops the book he's reading in his lap when Ellen's yell rings out of the kitchen, followed closely by a madly cackling Charlie and a grinning Meg hot on her heels. He watches with wide eyes as they dart through the living room and barrel past him and back out the front door, Charlie's laughter still ringing in the air.

He turns back to the kitchen as Benny strolls into the living room and plops down on the couch.

"What in the world was that all about?" Castiel asks the other alpha.

Benny chuckles. "Somethin' about a harness so Meg can haul her camera and gear around, I dunno. Didn't get the whole story before Charlie ordered it an' Meg took off after her."

"Ah," Castiel says as he marks his place in the book and sets it to the side. "I take it Meg is settling in, then?"

Benny nods. "Seems so. Didn't reckon she'd stick around at first, but she fits in well with the rest of us." He rubs his beard, then looks at Castiel. "She's not leaving anyone behind, is she? Back in Nashville?"

Castiel's eyebrows raise, and a sly smile slides across his face. "No, no one important, anyway," he says, holding the Cajun's gaze.

Benny's cheeks turn red, and he coughs. "Ah, good. That's good. I'm uh- I've got somethin'-" he points over his shoulder and bolts out of his seat and out of the house, just barely missing running Dean over as he walks in the door.

"Hey!" Dean yells at Benny's retreating form. He huffs and looks at Castiel. "What the hell was that all about. What's got you grinnin' like Zanna got in the cream?"

"Oh, just some puppy love, I think," Castiel chuckles.

Dean's eyebrows shoot up, and he looks at the door again. "Oh yeah?"

"Mhm," Castiel hums as Dean sits down. "Seems your Cajun has a crush on Meg."

Dean whistles lowly, then laughs. "She'll eat him alive!"

"Mhm. I have a feeling he'll enjoy every minute of it, though."

They share a chuckle, then lapse into silence.

"Dean?" A distracted hum lets Castiel know he has Dean's attention, so he continues. "Would you like to run with me tonight?"

Dean's grin turns sly as he considers his answer. "Gee Cas, I thought you weren't the type of alpha just to take what you want."

Castiel splutters as his wolf perks up at the insinuation in Dean's words. "I said a run, not a chase!"

Dean throws his head back and laughs, his scent growing stronger with his mirth. "I know, Alpha, I'm just giving you a hard time. Yes, I'd like to go on a run with you. What didja have in mind?"

"I was hoping you'd be willing to show me the places your pack likes to run. I'd like to get a feel for the area."

Dean tilts his head to the side and squints in thought. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Tonight after dinner OK?"

"That sounds agreeable."

"Well," Dean says as he slaps his thighs and rises from the couch. "Better get in there then, before the horde figures out it's done."

They choose to eat dinner in the kitchen, away from the other pack members, so Dean can lay out some of what Castiel can expect on the run.

"We do have black bears around here," Dean says as he mops up the gravy from the pot roast with a roll. "We've got other wildlife too, but the bears- we leave them alone."

"Wise choice. Do you ever hunt as a pack?"

"Not for a long time. I mean, yeah, we hunted while Abbadon had control, you know, but nothing for bonding as a pack. It was to survive."

Castiel hums. "I think we should plan to do so on the next full moon, then. It might do us some good to shed our humanity for a night. We could combine it with a pack run, perhaps."

Dean brightens. "That's an excellent idea, Cas! It'll be nice to run for fun for a change and not have to worry about going hungry if we don't manage to pull anything down."

Castiel nods. "And if we do manage to catch something, we could bring it back here and have a cookout with the friends of the pack. Show our appreciation for everything they've done since you got home."

"Dude, yes. That sounds awesome. I'll take you through some of the whitetail trails; see if we can't locate where the herds are right now."

They finish dinner swiftly after that, and Dean lets Benny know where they are going before they split off to their rooms to undress. Within ten minutes, Castiel is waiting in the backyard. He's sitting and studying the sky when Dean joins him.

They set off quickly, and Dean takes the lead. He leads them through the underbrush, and as soon as they break out into the forest proper, he throws his head back and howls.

Castiel chuckles. " _Staking your claim_?"

Dean's voice is sheepish when he answers. " _Just been a while since I've been able to do that without worrying who'd hear it_." His ears prick forward, and he sniffs a few times. " _Looks like it might have worked in our favor, though. I smell turkey_."

Castiel's mouth waters. " _I do love turkey. It's not something we get to eat often_."

Dean grins at him, tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. " _Fancy a hunt, then_?"

They don't end up catching a turkey, but they can take note of a few rabbit warrens and trails the deer seem to favor. They turn back to go home when the moon starts to set. They're just about a mile out when they stumble on the elk and her baby.

The cow bellows at the sight of them, startling both wolves into stillness. They stand, staring at each other until she charges at them.

Castiel can't move- he's scared stiff and unable to move away from the 500 pounds of furious mama barreling down on him.

Dean dances out of her way, but when he turns back, he sees Castiel hasn't moved an inch. He seems to be rooted to the spot, and panic takes him over. His wolf rushes to the surface, recognizing the threat. Dean lets it take control and is propelled forward, leaping at the cow, snapping and snarling to get her attention on him instead of the black wolf.

" _CAS! Cas, man, you gotta move_!"

Castiel startles, Dean's yell breaking the spell he's been locked under. He darts to the side, just before the cow's hooves crash down inches from where he'd been standing.

Both wolves turn and dart away, crashing through the underbrush until the cow finally breaks off and turns back to her calf.

" _Cas_ ," Dean pants, " _What the fuck was that? What happened?"_

Now that they are out of harm's way, Castiel feels shame and embarrassment wash over him. _"I'm so sorry, Dean. I've never seen an elk before, not up close. Her size overwhelmed me._ "

" _Yeah, well, gotta listen to your wolf. She could have killed you_ ," Dean says, bumping his shoulder into Castiel's. " _You scared the shit out of me._ "

" _I'm sorry, Dean. Truly._ "

_"So, where are you from that you've never seen an elk before, anyway?"_

_"Pontiac, Illinois."_

_"Don't they have elk and moose up that way?"_ Dean asks as they break out of the treeline and angle towards the back porch.

_"I'm sure there are, but the Novak clan typically didn't hunt. We ran as a pack on the family grounds."_

They ascend the steps, and Dean shifts before he replies. "Ah, that would explain it. Bigger prey tends to stay away from pack grounds. God knows it takes forever to find elk around here, and they for sure aren't usually that close to the house. I guess she figured we were gone for real." Dean opens the door and gestures for Castiel to enter before him, then turns and locks the door once he's inside. "Must be a bit of a culture shock out here."

" _A little_ ," Castiel shifts in the kitchen, then the two men make their way to the bedrooms.

"Hey. So that was fun," Dean says as they draw up to Castiel's room.

"Until the end, anyway, "Castiel chuckles.

Dean hums, then grins at Castiel. "Why don't we fix that, then?" He crowds Castiel up against the doorframe and leans in. When his face is inches from Dean's, the omega stops. "Is this OK?"

"Yes," Castiel breaths and closes the distance. Their mouths slot together, and Castiel swears he can feel fireworks going off in his brain.

It's a gentle, chaste kiss. After a few seconds, Dean pulls away, and Castiel blinks, bringing the omega's green eyes into focus.

"Good night, Cas," Dean whispers before he turns away and disappears into his room.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean wakes the next morning to soft sunlight filtering through the window. He stretches and groans as his shoulders pop. As he lays in bed, letting his brain wake up, the night before floats back to him, and a smile stretches across his face. Except for the elk incident, the run had been fantastic. Getting to shed his humanity for a whole and show the Alpha around his pack grounds had been freeing in a way he hadn't known he needed until it happened.

And Castiel? The Alpha's willingness to let Dean take the lead speaks volumes about the man. Not that Dean needed any more evidence that Cas is a good guy, but his wolf _more_ than approves of Cas after last night's showing.

And then that kiss. Dean had long ago given up finding a mate who would also let him be a partner, an equal in the relationship. But Cas is ticking every single one of those boxes and then some. Dean flips over and grins into his pillow. He feels like a teenage girl doing it, but he can't help it. If Cas is willing, he's pretty damn sure he's found his mate.

He lets himself lay in bed for a few more minutes before he gets up and dresses. He kisses Ellen on the cheek as he passes her en route to the coffee pot.

"You're mighty chipper this morning. What's got you all happy?" Ellen asks, amusement evident in her tone.

Dean shrugs. "Me 'n Cas had a good run last night. Found some good trails for whitetail. Do we have everything we need if we do manage to pull a few down?"

"Sure do. Thinkin' about a pack run?"

"Yeah. Cas' idea."

"It's a good one," Ellen says as she starts breakfast. "When were you thinkin' of doing it?"

Dean takes a sip of his coffee before he replies. "Full moon. Should give us a few days to let the townsfolk know too, so if anyone who wants to come with, can. If they do, we can share. Make an event out of it. Hell, we can even invite some of the pack friends and let the humans mingle out here and get away for a while. It's been entirely too long since we got just to _be_."

"That _is_ a good idea, sweetheart. We need to make sure the smokehouse is clean and ready. The pit, too. I'll get Benny on the smokehouse if you and Cas'll do the pit. Make sure we have plenty of firewood." Ellen starts muttering to herself about what all she'll need from the store and what all she can prep, and Dean takes the opportunity to slip out the backdoor to watch the sun rise.

The week before the full moon flies by and before they know it, the Winchester Pack lands are bursting at the seams. A few trusted humans, led by Missouri, are staying behind at the house to make sure the fire stays going and to keep watch. As soon as the sun dips below the mountains, the pack is off, streaming into the woods.

Dean and Cas are in the lead, sniffing out the trails they'd been following the past few nights. They plan to hunt first, bring the food back, then run for a few more hours before the moon rises.

Benny, Garth, and Jo are all latched onto a young buck; the rest of the pack is spread out, running off any of the herd who tries to interfere when a bone-chilling howl rings out, followed closely by a flurry of bodies flying out of the woods.

It's chaos, pure and simple. Wolves stream in, harassing the Winchester pack and driving them apart, chasing them through the forest. Their mental voices are full of _fear, fear, fear_ as they are scattered in all directions. Every time one of the Winchester wolves tries to break away and rejoin one of their pack members, the fear is overlaid with _hurt_ as they are driven away by the intruders. Finally, another bone-chilling howl calls the attackers off, and they melt back into the forest like they were never there.

Castiel throws his head back and howls, calling his back to return to him. As one, the wolves turn and run full tilt back to their Alpha, trusting him to lead them home.

As they start to gather, Castiel takes stock of who returns and what shape they are in. The townies don't return with them, which is no surprise to him, not really. They didn't sign up for a surprise attack, after all. His pack seems to be mostly unhurt, mostly scrapes and bruises, except for Benny, who has a gouge down the side of his ribs that looks to be healing already.

But two fail to return.

Dean and Zanna are nowhere to be seen, and none of the other wolves remembers seeing them in the woods after the attack started, either. With sudden clarity, Castiel knows what's happened.

Abbadon has taken Dean. Has taken Zanna.

His wolf threatens to take over, and in his grief, Castiel almost allows it to happen. But a flash of red fur reminds him that he still has a pack to protect and lead home. So he turns, his heart heavy, and leads the remaining pack members back to what should have been a celebration.

It turns into a strategy session.

"What the hell happened?" Bobby snarls as they gather in the dining room. They elected to have this meeting as humans so they could strategize and plan.

Benny shakes his head. "Abbadon must've had spies in tow. We weren't shy about sharing what the plan for tonight was. Never needed to, before."

"I've already called Jody," Missouri throws in. "She's on her way out, so's the humans that are aligned to this pack can close ranks. We'll figure out that part of the mess." The other humans nod grimly, and the Witch twins, Max and Alicia Banes, nod as well.

"We'll do everything we can to track Dean and Zanna," Max says, eyes flashing purple.

"We've already called the Coven," Alicia adds. "Rowena is on her way."

The conversation dissolves around Castiel then, each faction laying out plans and options. All he can do is sit and stare.

"Hey Cas," Charlie says quietly as she and Meg sit down on either side of him. "Are you OK?"

Castiel snorts bitterly. "No. I failed to keep my pack safe on our very first run."

"There's no way you could have known this was going to happen, Clarence," Meg chides.

" _I should have seen this coming_!" Castiel snarls. He surges to his feet, and the room is tinted in red as he continues. "I should have-"

He's cut off by a slap to the back of his head, knocking him out of his pseudo-rage. He rubs the back of his head and glares at Missouri, only to shrink back from a glare of her own.

"Sugar, sit down. We don't need you stinkin' the house up and settin' everyone off. _Sit,_ " she says, and in shock, Castiel does. "I know your boy is out there, and don't give me none of that sass, boy-" Castiel snaps his mouth shut, "but you've got to keep your head on your shoulders if we're gonna find them. Now, go call your momma and tell her your True Mate's been taken by an abusive alpha and get her to send help. Go on!"

She flaps her hands at him, and Castiel hustles down the hall before pulling his phone out of his pocket. It rings three times before his mother answers.

"Castiel? It's late, son. What's wrong?" The concern in Naomi's voice is unmistakable.

"Mom," he croaks. "We need help. Dean's been taken. Zanna too."

He lays out what happened as his mother packs her bags. When he gets to the point of his realization that Dean and Zanna were missing, his throat closes up, and he can't continue.

"Cassie? Sweetheart, why didn't you tell me he was your True Mate?"

"I didn't even know until tonight, Mom. A human had to tell me."

She hums as he continues to explain what they've set in motion so far, and as he finishes, his mother sighs.

"OK, I'm getting on the first flight to Knoxville. The Novak pack will be following me, likely by car since I can imagine most of the pack won't want to be there for you. We'll figure this out, son, I swear this to you. We _will_ find your omega and pup."

Castiel sobs and clutches the phone to his ear. He slides down the wall and sits sprawled out on the floor. "Thank you," he whispers.

"Nonsense. Send me the address of the packhouse. I'll rent a car at the airport. Your pack needs to stay with you right now, even the humans. Now listen to me carefully, Castiel."

He straightens at the command in her voice. "I'm listening."

"Good. I need you to get every pack member fed and into their fur. Ask the humans to stand guard until I get there. Give this Missouri your phone; I'll call her when I leave the airport. Now, once you are all fed, you all need to curl up as a pack in a space where you can all fit and try to get some sleep. Do you understand?"

Castiel nods then realizes his mom can't see him. "I understand. Puppy pile after food. Give Missouri my phone."

"That's good." The sound of a car door slamming echoes through the phone. "I'm heading to the airport now, so I'm going to hand up and drive. Go do as I asked, and I'll see you soon. I love you, Cassie."

"I love you too, Mom," he croaks back before he disconnects the call. He sits for a moment, staring off into space before he shakes himself off. He gets up and searches Ellen out. To no one's surprise, he finds her in the kitchen. "Ellen?"

The blond whirls around, teeth bared. When Ellen registers who it is, she holds a hand up in apology. "Hello, Castiel. Sorry about that, just a little jumpy."

"Understandable." He shifts his weight, and she turns back to the sink. "My um. My mother is on her way with the Novak pack."

Ellen hums but doesn't stop washing (likely already clean) dishes.

"She wants me to get the pack fed." Ellen slows down her frantic movements, and Castiel hurries on. "She wants us to eat and then puppy pile in the living room."

Ellen sets the bowl into the water and turns to face Castiel again, drying her hands on the towel at her waist. She's quiet for a moment until her eyes snap to Castiel's.

"Go get everyone in the living room. Tell them to get nesting blankets and get the humans to push the furniture to the edge of the room. Once everyone gets back with the blankets, get them to figure out how to set up one giant nest in front of the fireplace. I'll have stuff for sandwiches ready by then."

She nods to herself and turns to the fridge, and Castiel heads to the living room to relay the message. He gives Missouri his phone and explains what's going on as Jody and a few others whose names he can't remember right now work on getting the furniture pushed back. After that, a flurry of blankets and pillows are being pushed around and nudged into the best place possible until Ellen calls them into the kitchen to eat.

"So," Charlie says, mouth full of a turkey and cheddar sandwich. "What's the deal with the nest?"

The rest of the pack looks up from demolishing their sandwiches, and Castiel hastens to swallow the bite he'd just taken. "We're going to puppy pile until my mom gets here with reinforcements in the morning." Bobby looks like he's going to object for half a second until he sees Ellen's face, then apparently decides otherwise. "Mom feels like it'll help with the stress, and we might be able to get some sleep before she and the Novak pack get here, and we start tracking Dean and Zanna down."

The wolves nod and apply themselves back to their food. Garth and Charlie finish first, and they start putting everything away as the rest of the pack finishes.

"Alright, let's get everyone into the living room. Jody and Missouri are going to keep watch until Mom gets here, so let's try to get some sleep," Castiel says.

The air is heavy as they head into the living room. All the humans are elsewhere, so the wolves look at each other, shrug, and start stripping off clothing, throwing it onto the pile.

"Hey, I have an idea," Ash says suddenly and darts down the hallway. He comes back, flapping some shirts at them. "Got some of Dean and Zanna's dirty shirts. That way, even though they aren't here..." he trails off, and his face falls.

Castiel steps over to him and takes the clothing from the beta. "That's a great idea, Ash." He turns to the pack. "Alright. Shift and get comfortable, and I'll tuck these around the outside of the nest."

The next few minutes are full of eight wolves jostling for position as Castiel evenly spaces the shirts out. When he gets to the last ones, he bows his head and buries his face into them, drawing the scents of the two missing into his lungs.

" _Get in here, you idjit. Smelling them shirts ain't gonna bring them back no faster. Get in here, Alpha,_ " Bobby grumbles, breaking him out of his reverie.

Castiel strips and throws his clothes on Bobby's head, earning him a chuckle from Jo and Ash before he shifts and crawls into the middle of the pile, shirts in his mouth. They all shuffle around so that each of them is touching as many others as physically possible.

It's quiet until Ellen starts a low keening. It has a slight rhythm to it that Castiel can't quite catch until Missouri starts singing.

"Hey Jude, don't make it bad, take a sad song, and make it better. Remember to let her into your heart; then you can start to make it better."

The song continues until Missouri's voice trails off, and they all drop off to sleep.

Castiel wakes to someone poking his nose. He cracks an eye open to check if someone is having a bad dream to see his brother, Gabriel, lying on the floor just inches from his face. He snorts, startling Gabe, who then breaks into a grin when he realizes that Castiel is awake.

"Hey Cassie," he whispers. "Mom and me just got in. Want to show us to a room we can put our stuff in?"

Castiel flicks an ear in annoyance. " _How did you get here so fast?"_

"Mom called me while she was waiting for her plane. Flew into Nashville and booked it here. I got here about the same time as she did."

Castiel lifts his head to see he's buried under at least three pack members. Charlie and Garth, and possibly Benny as well. He looks back at his brother. " _I'm not going to disturb them_." He gives directions to his room. " _That will have to do for now."_

"You got it, baby bro. Get some more sleep; I'll see you when you wake up again." Gabriel wiggles back then stands up, grabbing the luggage sitting just outside the living room, and disappears down the hall.

A murmur of voices catches Castiel's attention again a few moments later, and his mother enters the room. A soft smile lights up her face as she takes in the tangled pole of wolves, her son at the heart of it. She crosses the room and sits down at the edge closest to Castiel.

"Hello, Cassie."

" _Hey, Mom_."

She runs her hand down his snout, petting the fine hairs there. "I'm not going to keep you long. It's still early, and we've got a few hours yet before the rest of the pack gets here. Sleep. I'll watch over you."

Castiel nods and lets his head fall back down. A grunt under him tells him his pillow is currently Meg, and knowing that his mother and closest friend are both here, he lets himself slip back into a restless sleep.

The next time he wakes, it's to sunlight filling the living room and the scent of coffee and bacon in the air. He grumbles at his state of awareness, mornings still not being his favorite time of the day, and stretches as he feels the rest of the pack stir.

Ellen's head pops up. " _Who the hell is in my kitchen_?" She scrambles out of the pile and roots around for her clothes before she gives up, dashing for the kitchen and changing forms on the way.

Well. Guess it's time to get up, then.

When no loud noises come from the kitchen, Jo snatches her mother's clothes and carries them into the kitchen to deliver them to her mother. The rest of the pack disperses into their rooms or houses to go through their respective morning rituals. Castiel turns and heads to his room, only to jump out of his skin when Gabriel pounces our form behind the door.

"Dude, you should see your face right now," he cackles as he collapses on Castiel's bed. "Your smite-y face really does translate well to your canine body."

" _I'm glad you're amused, Gabriel_." Castiel shifts back to human, ignoring his brother's indignant squawks. "Do you know who else is coming?" he asks as he pulls clean clothes on.

The shift from jokester Gabe to serious Gabe is a quick one, and Castiel can tell he has his brother's full attention. "Not sure yet, but I know Mike and Joshua are coming for sure."

Castiel hums a confirmation as he pulls on a t-shirt. "I figured as much for those two. I have a feeling we'll need Joshua's calming presence in the days to come. This pack only has three omegas at the moment, and one of them was taken."

Gabriel blows out a breath and rakes his hands through his honey-colored hair. "If anyone can keep this pack on an even keel, it's Dad."

Castiel nods. Joshua may not be his true father, but he and Naomi had found each other late in life, and frankly, the only reason Naomi is the woman she is today is all due to the man who didn't have to be Dad but stepped up and did so. "I agree. Let's not speculate any further before we talk to Mom, though." His stomach grumbles, so he tacks on "and breakfast."

The brothers make their way to the kitchen, greeted by the sounds of good-natured ribbing of the pack. Castiel makes a beeline for the coffee before anyone can stop him, not that they would. They know him well enough by now to not attempt conversation until he has his coffee in hand, at the very least.

Said coffee in a mug and mug safe in hand, he turns to face the rest of the room and sees Charlie grin.

"Mornin' Alpha. Lookie who we found," she says, pointing to the head of the table where Naomi is sitting, shoveling food in her mouth just as fast as his pack members are.

She's always been a smart woman.

His mom looks up at him with an eyebrow raised that states _you're going to have to wait your turn_ , so he grins.

"Yes, it does seem we suddenly have two more pack members." He gestures to Gabriel. "This is one of my older brothers, Gabriel, and this-" he steps behind his mom and pats her shoulder, "is my mother, Naomi Novak."

The room is silent until Ash lets out a wolf whistle, followed by a slap to the back of his head by Bobby. The pack dissolves into giggles, and Gabe shakes his head.

"Cassie, your pack is weird."

Castiel just nods in agreement and grins at the glares he gets.

After breakfast is finished, Naomi folds her hands on the table and fixes her gaze on Ellen and Bobby. "Please tell me everything about Abbadon and how the situation got to this point."

Ellen swallows, and with a glance to Bobby and a nod from Naomi, she launches into the tale. As she speaks, Castiel moves to stand next to Gabe, taking strength from his older brother. As Ellen continues, Meg joins them, leaning on Castiel.

"I had no idea it had been that bad," she murmurs. "They all seem so happy."

"Defense mechanism," Gabriel murmurs back. "Sometimes, the happiest people are the most broken."

An hour later, Naomi sits back and drums her fingers on the table. "We need to take out her pack."

"I agree," Castiel says. "If we don't, she won't stop."

"What do we know about her pack?" Gabriel asks.

"All we know of for sure is the four who took over," Bobby says. "Abbadon is the pack leader, obviously, but she's also got Gordon, her Beta, Christian, and Ruby. _That_ bitch tried to take out Sam, Dean's brother, multiple times before the Ghosts split off and booked it out of dodge with the few pups other than Zanna that we had. Assuming there are no others, and I'd be hard-pressed to think anyone close to sane would want to be a part of her pack, we've got plenty here to take ‘em out."

Naomi shakes her head. "Not if you want the pack to survive." She holds her hand up to stall his protests. "I'm not saying you can't, but you have two alphas who can fight and a handful of betas."

"And two omegas," Charlie grumbles.

Naomi inclines her head. "And two omegas. You could have fought her off at any time, and yet you didn't. That's not the type of pack you are." Bobby bristles, and Benny puts his hand on the elder's shoulder.

"She's right, chief. We had our chance. We didn't take it cause that's not how we are." He looks at Naomi. "What are you thinkin'?"

"With your permission, I'll call in the rest of my pack. We'll need your help to figure out where those evil sons of bitches are. We find them, kill them, and bring the rest of your pack home."

Everyone looks at Castiel, who shakes his head. "I can't make this decision for you. It's your lands, your area. This is your chance and decision."

"Let's do it, then," Bobby growls.

When Dean wakes, it's to damp and darkness. He sniffs and registers the smells of a cave, and the night before rushes back to him. He groans and shifts his legs, only to freeze again when he feels a small body next to him.

No, please, no. Not her. " _Zanna_?"

The cougar curled up next to his stomach whines. _"Dean? Are you awake?"_

 _"Yeah, kiddo."_ The part of the cave they are in is pitch black, so he shifts back a little to roll onto his stomach and get upright a little. _"How'd they get you? I thought you were with Charlie."_

He feels her shift beside him. _"I couldn't leave you behind,"_ she whispers, curling up and pressing into his side so that as much of her body is in contact with Dean's as possible. _"I'm sorry."_

Dean noses around until he finds her ears and gives them a lick. _"Not your fault, kiddo. Not your fault,"_ he says, then curls around her, shielding her from the horrors that he knows is coming.

Castiel hangs up the phone and looks at his mom. "Michael, Uriel, and Anna are heading this way."

"And Joshua?"

He hesitates. "Father is coming, too."

Naomi sighs. "I figured. We're going to need the extra support, someone not connected to the family."

"To Dean, you mean. To keep us all settled enough to keep our heads."

"Yes." Naomi puts down the map of the area she's been studying for the past hour. "Four is not going to be enough."

"I know. Benny and I are going with you. Meg and Jo too."

"You trust him?" Castiel knows she means the other alpha, the potential rival.

"I do. With Dean and Zanna's life. Regardless, he knows this area, has been planning on taking Meg out to show her around for her photography. He's the best to lead us."

Naomi raises an eyebrow. "Meg?"

"Mhm. It seems Benny has got a bit of a crush on her. Charlie 'ships' it."

Naomi wrinkles her nose. "I have no idea what that means, but I'm going to assume it's good." She leans back in the chair and studies him. "How are you doing?"

Castiel sighs and sinks into the chair next to hers. "Honestly? Not good. Dean-" he scrubs his hand down his face.

Naomi hums and pats his hand. "Just starting the dance, and your amor has been ripped away from you." She squeezes his hand, and he turns it over, grasping her fingers.

"I just- the worst-case scenarios keep flashing through my mind. All the 'what-if's and the 'oh gods’." He looks up at his mother. "What if-"

She cuts him off. "No. Keep them in the back of your mind. Worst case is they are both dead." Castiel's lungs seize in his chest at the thought. "Anything else can be dealt with. Plan for them coming home, be flexible for everything else."

Castiel nods, working his throat to keep the overwhelming fear at bay. His wolf keens mournfully.

"Have faith, Castiel. It'll work out." His mother squeezes his hand once more, then picks up the map, going back to studying it.

He's restless, so he leaves her to it. He wanders around the house, feeling a little lost as he tries to shake off the funk that's settled around him. He's ex-Army, for gods sake, he should be above this, but nothing seems to be able to pull his mind away from the poisonous swirling thoughts. He thinks about joining the pack in the kitchen, but guilt surges up, and he turns down the hallway that leads to the bedrooms instead.

Charlie and Ash find him slumped against Zanna's door a few hours later.

"Hey, Alpha," Charlie says as she sits down next to him. "Whatcha doin' out here?"

Castiel shrugs. "Can't get my mind to focus on anything, so I figured I'd might as well stay out of the way."

Charlie leans into him, and he takes a selfish moment to let the redhead comfort him.

"You know what," Ash says, clapping his hands. "We need to get you outta this house, just for a little bit."

"I'm fine, Ash. You two can go back and help."

Ash clicks his tongue. "Nope. Char and I ain't going with you guys, so all we'd be doing is getting in the way. Your mom's holed up with Bobby and Benny, Gabriel is agitating Jo, and Ellen's cooking. There ain't nothin' to do right now anyway, since your old pack isn't here yet. Garth's even taking a nap." Ash nudges Castiel's hip with the toe of his boot. "So come on. Up you get. We're going outside."

Castiel swipes at the beta a few times, but he doesn't give up, and Charlie joins in, poking him in the ribs until he gives up and gets to his feet. He lets them lead him outside and chivvy him into his wolf form, accomplished by Ash shifting and nipping him on the ass until he shifted too. His wolf takes over a little after that, joining the other two in a game of chase.

Eventually, Gabriel joins them, then Garth, Meg, and Benny. Jo drags Ellen and Naomi out with her. Bobby just scoffs at them, proclaiming the idjits and installing himself on one of the chairs, laughing at their antics. Naomi and Ellen break off after an hour or so and disappear into the house, likely to get dinner ready, knowing Ellen.

Castiel's mind has finally calmed down around the time Ellen steps out the door, yelling for them to change out of their fur and get washed up for supper. They all whine like pups but trape into the house to locate clean clothing. They reconvene in the kitchen and dig into the pot roast.

"Ellen," Gabe asks, mouth full, "What is this meat? It doesn't taste like beef."

Ellen, bless her, doesn't remark on Gabe's manners, much too used to Dean's. "You would be correct," she says, spearing a potato and popping it into her mouth. "It's deer. Can't afford the cost of beef with this pack."

Gabe hums and snags another roll, sopping up the leftover gravy on his plate.

After dinner, Ash and Garth shoo everyone into the living room, telling them to decide on a movie while cleaning up. As Benny, Jo, and Gabriel bicker about the choices, Naomi slides over to Castiel.

"It was good of them to distract you today." He glances at his mom out of the corner of his eye and sees a small smile playing on her lips. "The rest of the pack will be here tomorrow afternoon. We'll figure out what we need to stock up on first, then get to planning." She looks at him then, catching his gaze. "You will not be a part of the planning, Cassie. Your only role in this will be to hold your pack together, let them take care of you. And when we go, _all_ that you will do is ensure the safe return of Dean and Zanna to this house." Castiel wants to argue, to point out that _he_ is the Alpha of this pack and should be in the thick of the fighting, but his mother's features are set in stone. She will not bend on this, so he bows his head in acceptance.

Benny and Jo finally settle on _The Princess Bride_ and _Lilo and Stitch_. The pack shifts except for Naomi, who will handle the controls and pile up in the same pile as last night. Castiel gets jostled into the middle again, with Benny and Ash using him as a pillow. He drifts off before Vizzini starts rambling about the poisoned cups of wine.

Dean stirs from a restless sleep when the air in their part of the cave shifts. He opens his eyes and peers out into the darkness, shifting and pulling Zanna closer to him. A shape detaches itself from the cave wall and moves toward them. Dean growls in warning.

 _"Oh shut up, slut."_ Gordon, then.

_"What do you want, asshole?"_

Gordon chuckles. _"Big words for someone who's out here all alone. No pack to protect you, taken from that pathetic alpha who didn't even try to claim you."_ He drifts closer, and Dean's hackles rise. _"And that abomination with you, no less. Seems like we'll finally get to have all sorts of fun."_

Dean rises to his feet, Zanna tucked behind him at the cave wall. _"You won't touch her. I won't let you,"_ he snarls.

 _"Oh, I'm sure you'll fight for her as long as you can,"_ Gordon sneers. _"But how long can you protect her when you're starving? Or delirious from dehydration?"_ Claws come down on Dean's nose, raking his skin open and stealing his breath. _"How can you keep her safe when you are pinned down and being fucked from both ends, omega?"_ The paw smacks down on Dean's nose again, and then jaws are closing around his neck. The last thing he hears is Zanna's screams before he knows no more.

The days that follow are a blur for Castiel. His father and brother arrive, Uriel and Anna in tow. The alphas, minus Castiel, and the rest of the 'war party', as Charlie calls them, regularly disappear while the rest of the two packs keep Castiel occupied. It's maddening not to be helping with the planning, but he finds he's also grateful.

Each of the pack members distracts him in their own way. Ash and Charlie play games with him, in fur and without, Garth chats his ear off about livestock he'd like to own- goats for milk and cheese, Ellen gets him to help in the kitchen, Gabriel just outright harasses him, and Joshua- his father, mostly lets him be.

That's _not_ to say Joshua lets him stew in his mind, though.

A week after Dean and Zanna were taken, there's a shift in the holding pattern. The war party emerges from the dining room with lists in hand. The pack scatters to gather the items or prepare for the party's return, and Naomi takes Castiel to the side. She lays out his part of the plan, and he nods his understanding before retreating to his room to pack his medical supplies. He packs everything he would have packed to patrol in Afghanistan into a gilly pack he can wear in both forms.

They set the plan in motion the next day.

Benny and Meg act as their guides, leading them in an ever-widening circle around where Dean was last seen the night of the run. Eventually, Jo catches his scent, and she takes over lead duties. They switch out as Dean’s, and ultimately, Zanna's scent fades and strengthens until finally, they hit on a trail where other wolves' scent converge.

Jo, Benny, and Meg, all shift to human, dressing quickly and taking up rifles and handguns to protect themselves now they are without claws and fangs. Castiel's wolf approves, not wanting to lose another pack member to these evil creatures that call themselves 'ware.' Once they are settled again, the pack takes off down the trail, humans in the middle until they locate the den.

Anna scouts around, reporting back that there were guards at one point, but it appears the spots are no longer being used.

_"It appears they are inside that cave right there. There's a fire pit set up, but it's cold right now, so everyone must be inside."_

_"How many different scents?"_ Castiel asks.

_"At least four, maybe more. It's hard to tell over the stench of the Alpha."_

The pack nods since this is what they expected. Abbadon's never played well with others, so they hadn't expected the others to stick around. Castiel spares a thought to wonder where the other wolves came from before his mother breaks into his thoughts.

 _"Alright, we stick to the plan. Castiel, Anna, and Meg stick together and look for Dean and Zanna. Everyone else, fan out and hunt the fuckers down who did this."_ The pack files into the cave.

Castiel and Anna keep their noses to the ground, searching for and following Dean's trail. Meg follows, pistol in hand, covering their backsides. As Dean's scent gets stronger, so does the scent of fear and anger. Then, a scent Castiel had hoped _never_ to smell again, let alone here, hits him.

Blood. And it's saturating the air here.

Meg's fingers sink into the fur on the back of his neck. "Cas, you need to keep it together for just a little bit longer."

He closes his eyes and shakes off the dread trying to drag him down. He opens his eyes and nods, and Anna takes point. As they walk, the air grows damp, and there is less and less ambient lighting. Meg keeps her left hand on his head so she doesn't lose them in the darkness. The hallway they are following widens after a few twists and turns, and the scent of _fear, blood, pain_ slams into Castiel. He staggers, and Dean and Zanna's scents closely follow that scent.

He rushes forward, pulling away from Meg, losing some fur in the process, and changing into his human form before wriggling out of the pack. "Anna," he hisses, "turn around, so I don't blind you." He roots around in his bag, pulling out his flashlight with the tactical red lens on it. It's great for low light situations, but the flare will still hurt the wolf's sensitive eyes.

He flicks it on and pans around the room, looking for Dean. When he finally finds him, Castiel feels his heart shatter.

They are huddled together against the cave wall; Dean curled around Zanna as well as his broken body will allow. Castiel drops his pack and rushes over to them, stopping short when Dean raises his head and growls at him.

 _"Come for more, Gordon? Come on then, alpha-wannabe."_ He fights to rise to his feet to protect Zanna, jostling her in the process.

_"Dean?"_

_"It's alright, Zanna,"_ he says, swaying on his feet. _"Not gonna let-"_

"Dean," Castiel says, quickly sinking to his knees in front of them. "Dean, it's Cas."

Dean stops growling and cocks his head to the side. _"Cas?"_

Zanna peeks around Dean's legs and growls softly. _"Who's that strange alpha over at the way out?"_

"That's Anna. She's one of my old pack members." Dean sags, and Castiel lunges forward to catch him, lowering him to the ground and checking him over. Zanna crawls over to him and presses into his side.

Jo brings him the pack, and he starts digging through it for gauze. He hands a roll to Jo. "Cover Zanna's eyes with this. It'll protect them from the light when we get out of here." She nods and turns to the little puma, winding the cotton around her head. He turns back to Dean.

"Dean, can you hear me?"

Dean whimpers and Castiel takes it as permission.

"I'm going to cover your eyes like Jo is doing to Zanna. Is that ok?" The omega nods his assent and sits up. Castiel makes short work of the makeshift blindfold. Once the end is tucked in, Dean sinks back down to the ground. "Alright, we need to get out of here. Can you both walk?"

 _"Not very good,"_ Zanna says. _"We haven't had a whole lot to eat or drink."_

Jo stows her weapon and picks Zanna up. "Jesus Cas, she's nothing but skin and bones," she says as she shifts the cub in her arms.

 _"We've got a problem,"_ Anna says from the doorway. _"I hear someone approaching."_

Castiel swears under his breath. "Can you tell who it is?"

_"Not a friendly, they smell like rot."_

_"It's either Abbadon or Gordon,"_ Dean says. _"Go, get Zanna out of here. Leave me."_

Castiel's wolf snarls. "No. I am not leaving you here."

 _"Then you'll die with him,"_ Abbadon says from opening. She swipes out at Anna, who ducks under the blow and lunges for her flank.

As they wrestle, Jo sets Zanna into Castiel's lap. "Stay here," she says before drawing her pistol and creeping around the fighting wolves for a better shot.

Castiel clutches the cub to his chest and sinks his other hand into the fur at Dean's neck. He watches Anna and Abbadon fight and prays there's enough light from his flashlight that Jo will be able to take a shot.

Abbadon throws Anna to the ground, and with a guttural snarl, she advances on the trio.

A shot rings out, cutting the alpha's snarl off and her steps short. Her eyes widen, and she staggers at the next shot, blood spattering on the floor. Castiel tucks Zanna's face into his neck to shield her from it, even though her eyes are already covered. Abbadon's forward momentum stops, and it feels like the whole world slows down as she falls, the life fading from her eyes. Jo comes back into the light, holstering her weapon and crossing the room to Anna, who is just starting to stand and shake herself off.

Castiel lets out a breath he hadn't realized he's been holding.

 _"Is it over?"_ Dean asks.

Castiel nods before he remembers that Dean's eyes are covered, too. "Yes," he croaks. "It's over for her."

Dean snorts and goes boneless in relief.

Jo and Anna cross over to them, and Anna keeps watch as Jo helps Castiel pack and shrug back into his bag. She picks up Zanna, and Castiel gathers Dean to his chest as gently as possible after clipping the flashlight to his pack strap. Anna leads them back through the tunnels and into the sunlight.


	6. Chapter 6

In the end, it's all a bit anticlimactic. With only four pack members, Abbadon hadn't stood a chance against a pack who would fight back. The Novak pack had shown no mercy for the other three wolves but had granted them a quick, clean death. They burned the bodies in the fire pits to show any others just what the penalty for messing with the Winchester pack would be.

The two packs hurried out of the woods to a trail where Garth meets them, truck waiting. They get Castiel, Zanna, and Dean loaded into the cab, and everyone else piles into the bed. There is some shuffling as they bicker and make room, but it works, and no one has to walk back.

With Dean still unconscious in his lap, Castiel turns to Zanna, checking her over for any urgent needs. Zanna, as he suspected in the caves, is dehydrated and malnourished, but they'll be able to get her back to healthy with some help from Ellen and IV fluids. And a lot of rest.

Superficially, Dean is in much the same state. Cas' wolf is pacing under his skin; however, something doesn't feel right.

The truck jolts to a stop and Garth mutters an apology as he jumps out and dashes around the front, yanking the passenger side door open. He gently passes Zanna off to Ellen before helping Castiel out of the truck. Castiel still has Dean clutched to his chest, not willing to relinquish his hold to anyone just yet.

They head inside, and Castiel goes directly to his room, veering off into the bathroom and slamming the door shut. He lowers Dean into the tub so he can look the omega over properly.

Most of what he finds is, indeed, superficial. Cuts, scrapes. He's got puncture wounds around his neck, and a set of claw marks too close to his left eye, but it appears there are no broken bones or significant bleeding. He wipes the dirt out of the cuts on his face, then lifts him back out of the tub and takes him back to the bedroom.

Someone must have chased everyone out because his room is empty, and the blanket has been pulled back. He tucks Dean in, patting his head when he whimpers, and leaves him to sleep while Castiel goes and checks over the rest of the pack.

He finds everyone, except for Zanna and the omegas, in the dining room. He does a quick check of everyone, especially Anna, and pronounces them all healthy. Meg tips her head toward the kitchen, so Castiel makes that his next stop.

Zanna is sitting at the table in her human form, glaring at Ellen over the rim of a bowl, presumably filled with soup. Castiel can't help the laugh that bubbles up at her expression.

"Cas!" Zanna drops the spoon into the bowl and scrambles out of the chair. She rounds the table and launches herself at his knees, clinging to him. He rumbles low in his chest; a noise meant to soothe. "Hey there, little cub. What's that face you were giving Ellen for?"

She leans back and peers up at him, a pout on her face. "'M hungry, and all she'll give me is soup and Gatorade."

He kneels and looks her in the eyes. "While that _is_ tragic, don't you think that eating a whole bunch right now, just to throw it back up, would be worse?" He's learned over the years that _no one_ wants to puke from eating too fast or too much, no matter how hungry they are. Zanna is no exception to that rule from the horrified expression on her face.

Her eyes go wide as they dart back and forth from Castiel to Ellen, then back again. "That can really happen?"

"Sure can, little cub. So let's get that soup in you, some soup and Gatoraid for Dean, and see if we can't get him to drink some too."

She nods and scampers back to her chair. She abandons the spoon and takes small sips directly from the bowl, interrupted only by the sips of the bright orange drink until it's gone.

Ellen lays a hand on Castiel's shoulder. "Thank you. I couldn't get her to understand."

He stands from his crouch, wincing as his knees pop. "Yes, well, Zanna is easy to reason with. Dean won't be."

Ellen barks a laugh, and Charlie, who's been sitting off to the side, loses her fight against the giggles. Even Joshua cracks a smile. "I think I'll be leaving that part of it up to you, Alpha." She hands him a large Coleman thermos and a bottle of Gatorade. "Take these on up to him. He's probably still asleep, but that thermos will keep the soup warm for a few hours."

Castiel takes the items and pulls her into a hug. "Thank you," he murmurs into her hair. Ellen pats him on the back before she lets him go.

"Go take care of our boy, Alpha. I'll send Zanna up once she's clean and ready to sleep."

He nods and retreats from the kitchen to his room. He's stopped by Benny at his door, holding a bundle of clothing.

"Chief, we know we can't be in there right now, but the pack wants Dean to know we're here, so-" he holds out the clothes. "Naomi thought it was a good idea, too."

Castiel opens the door, peeking in to see Dean exactly where he'd left him. "Pile them on the end of the bed for now, please. Once we get him cleaned up and clean sheets on the bed, I'll make a nest up for him."

Benny drops the clothes on the bed, then hurries out, gently closing the door behind him. Castiel sets the food on the bedside table then crawls onto the bed beside Dean. At the first touch of Castiel's hand to his head, Dean startles awake.

_"?!"_

"You're home, Dean."

_"!"_

"Zanna's here too. She's in the kitchen with Charlie and Ellen, eating. You should, too, if you can shift."

Dean grumbles and moves his head so he can glare at Castiel. He worms his way under the covers before he returns to his human form and pops his head out. "I understand there's food? And why the hell is there dirt all over the bed?"

Castiel laughs at the bird's nest on Dean's head. "It's not much, just soup right now until your stomach gets used to having something in it again. And there's dirt in the bed because I didn't want to get mauled trying to wash you in your wolf form."

Dean grunts and pushes himself into a sitting position. He makes grabby hands at Castiel once he's steady. Castiel passes over the cup, halfway full, into his hands and watches as Dean carefully sips until it's gone. They trade out the cup for the Gatoraid until Dean's eyes are drooping. "Where's Zanna?"

"Likely getting a bath at this point. I asked Ellen to bring her in here when she's clean."

Dean's shoulders slump. "Thank you. Not sure I'll be able to sleep without her close for a while."

Castiel hums. "Do you think you're up for a shower?"

"I want one, but-" he cuts his eyes at Castiel. "Not sure I can stand for that long on my own."

"Would you like me to get Charlie?" Dean shakes his head no. "My father is here, too. He's also an omega."

Dean blinks. "He is?"

"My mother, father, and two brothers are here, along with a few alphas from my old pack. They helped locate and retrieve you."

Dean's mouth opens and shuts a few times before he clears his throat. "Um, no, thank you. But-" he hesitates, looking down at his fingers where they are twisted in the sheets. "Will you help me?"

"Of course, Dean. Let me ask Charlie to swap the sheets while we're in the bathroom."

He ducks out of the room and asks Garth to pass along the message, then he and Dean make their way to the bathroom. Castiel gets Dean into the shower, where the omega slumps down on the seat. Castiel hands over the handheld showerhead and lets Dean get himself clean from the head down while the Alpha washes his hair. Once Dean is rinsing off, Castiel ducks out of the bathroom and arranges the clothing on the bed into a nest they can lay on, then hurries to Dean's room to get the omega something to sleep in.

Dean's drying off when he returns to the bathroom. Castiel hands over the soft t-shirt and sweatpants once he's dry.

"Thanks, man," Dean says as he pulls the shirt over his head.

"You're welcome." Castiel offers his arm for Dean to haul himself up and helps him into the pants. "Can you walk?"

"I might be out of energy at this point," Dean admits, swaying.

So, Castiel does the only thing he can think of: he scoops Dean up in a bridal carry, surprising a squeak out of the omega.

"Put me down!" Dean splutters. They are close enough to the bed at this point, so Castiel grins and tosses him onto it. "What th- hey!"

Castiel bursts into laughter, unable to help himself, when Dean's head pops out of the nest.

"Yeah, yeah, yuck it up, Alpha. Just wait until I can stand on my own again."

"I welcome anything you can throw my way, omega if it means you are fully recovered."

Dean glares and starts to mimic him until a knock on the door stops him. The door is flung open before Castiel can take a step toward it, followed by a Zanna-blur as she launches herself into the bed. She instantly gets lost when the makeshift nest collapses on her.

"Well, I'm glad you two were decent, at least," Charlie says from the doorway.

Dean snorts as he unearths Zanna from the clothing pile. "Just a few minutes earlier, she woulda been squished by _me_."

Charlie arches an eyebrow, and Dean glares at Castiel. "Apparently, Alpha over there thought I couldn't make it back on my own."

Castiel shrugs, unrepentant, when Charlie looks at him. "He was swaying on his feet after the shower, so I picked him up so he could conserve his energy. He squeaked and demanded to be put down, so I did."

Charlie snorts a laugh, prompting a grumble from Dean. "Alright, Red, out. I'm tired as fuck and would like a chance to get some real sleep for the first time in..." he trails off, his eyes going vacant.

"Yup, I'm out. Cas, holler if you need anything." She gently shuts the door on her way out.

Dean shifts around, trying to get comfortable around an already sacked-out Zanna. "What's with all the shit on the bed?" he grumbles.

Castiel sits down in the chair he's taken to reading in next to the window. "The pack thought it would help if you had their scent around you."

The omega stops and looks up at Castiel. "Really?" he asks in a small voice.

Castiel nods. "Get some sleep, Dean. I'll watch over you."

Dean grumbles some more, shifting everything around him until he finally succumbs to sleep.

That first night is quite possibly the worst in Castiel's existence.

And that's saying something, what with him being to war.

Dean wakes up multiple times, screaming, which jolts Castiel away and sets Zanna to crying. The following day sees all three of them walking around like the living dead, and at one point, Joshua pulls Castiel to the side, out of Dean's earshot.

"Son, the three of you look like you didn't get _any_ sleep last night. What happened?"

Castiel rubs a hand over his face, trying to dispel the images of Dean's terror-stricken face from his mind. "To put it bluntly, screaming nightmares."

Joshua bites his lip in thought. "That sounds about right. Do you know anything about what happened yet?"

Castiel shakes his head. "Not yet. Dean's not the most talkative person at the best of times, especially about feelings. I suspect he's going to try to bottle it all up and try to forget about it."

"I was afraid you were going to say that," Joshua says, sadly. He snorts. "Men."

Castiel looks at his father oddly, but Joshua waves him off.

"I know you were in the room. Did you all sleep together?"

"No, I wasn't sure if he'd- if they-" Castiel's throat closes, so he shakes his head.

Joshua pats his shoulder. "Ok, I get the drift. Herd them back to bed for a nap. Use Zanna as an excuse if you need to, and try laying with them in your fur. It might help."

Castiel nods tiredly and, after lunch, herds the two back to bed. Dean puts up a fight until Castiel huffs, shifts then flattens the omega until he falls asleep.

It's surprisingly effective. Dean conks out in five minutes with Zanna following shortly after, her hand fisted in Castiel's fur. After the nap, Dean grudgingly declares it a success, and they fall into a routine of sleeping piled up in Castiel's bed. Castiel is always squished in the middle, and at least one pack member usually finds their way into the pile too, but he finds he doesn't mind being in the middle of the pile.

What he _does_ mind is waking up to his brother, poking him in the nose.

"Oh good, you're up," Gabe says, a cheeky grin on his face.

Castiel snorts. _"I am now. What do you want?"_

Gabe wipes his face. "First of all, ew. Second, Anna, Mike, and Uriel are headed back home. Figured you'd want to say good-bye."

_"Alright. Give me five- no, ten- minutes. I need to brush my teeth and try to wake up a bit first."_

"You got it, baby bro." He scoots off the bed and scuttles out the door.

Castiel spends the next seven minutes carefully extracting himself from the pile of limbs entwined with his. Once free, he throws on the first adult-sized clothing he comes to, which happens to be Dean's. He makes his way into the kitchen, where Ellen is loading up a perplexed Uriel with baked goods for the drive back to Pontiac. Anna looks on, amused, while Michael hugs their mother.

Farewells between Castiel and his former packmates are quick; then, he crushes his eldest brother to his chest.

"Thank you, Michael."

Michael squeezes him as tight as he can. "You're family. Nothing would have stopped me from coming." He slaps Castiel on the back and steps away. "Now, you take care of your omega. If you don't, I'll come steal him from you," he says with a twinkle in his eye so that Castiel knows that he's (mostly) joking. Castiel playfully growls back at him and escorts them to the car, then watches as they drive away.

Life goes on. Zanna goes back to sleeping in her room, but Dean refuses to return to his. He tried once and woke up the entire house with his screaming from a nightmare. So, he's decided to camp in Castiel's room permanently.

Dean's not stupid. He _knows_ he really should tell someone about… it, but talking has never been his thing. He'll just stow his shit and fake it until it goes away, just like he's always done.

And sleeping in Cas' bed isn't a hardship. The man smells like _mate_ , like _home_. His omega is as happy as a pig in shit, even if they haven't done anything other than kiss that one time.

So, Dean lets it be. He doesn't bring up _it_ , avoids Joshua like the plague; since that man knows much more than he's letting on, Dean just knows it, and everything is fine.

Until it isn't.

Dean's heat hits a week after the majority of the Novak pack left. And as much as Dean's wolf wants Castiel to be its mate, _Dean_ is _not_ ready for that yet.

"Sooo… What are you gonna do?" Charlie asks as Dean shuffles around the kitchen, gathering up snack stuff and drinks for him to keep handy.

"Whaddya mean, 'what am I gonna do'? I'm gonna lock myself in the heat room and do what I always do," he responds as he fills his bag up.

"Uh-huh," Charlie says, rolling her eyes. "Dude, you can't _sleep_ without Cas there."

"I'm not gonna ask him to share my head, Charlie. I'll just have to suck it up and deal with it."

Charlie huffs. Dean ignores her and finishes loading up what he wants for the next few days. He pats her on the shoulder as he passes her on the way to his room to gather the other stuff he's gonna need. "I'll be fine, kiddo."

The heat kicks in later that day, and Dean's wolf is crawling under his skin. It wants it's mate close and doesn't understand the human reasoning that he _isn't_. Dean himself isn't faring much better than his wolf. His skin is hot and tight and feels two sizes too small. The only time he's felt this bad in his life was when he had the flu.

"Ugh." He pushes himself into a sitting position on the bed and reaches for the bottle of water. He fumbles at the cap but eventually manages to get it open, swigging half the bottle in one go. "God damn it," he gasps after taking another drink. This heat is going to be _hell_.

When Castiel gets home from work, he's immediately greeted with a welcoming committee, including Zanna attaching herself to his knees. He detaches her and swings the cub up into his arms, and quirks an eyebrow at everyone else. "What?"

Zanna snuggles into his side as Charlie and Ash look at each other. Gabriel huffs.

"Oh my god, you people are acting like it's the end of the world," he mutters. He pins Castiel with a look. "Dean's in heat. It isn't going well."

Castiel fishes his phone out of his pocket and calls in for heat leave. His boss grumbles about the amount of time Castiel's taken off in the last few months instead of just allowing it.

Castiel snarls. "My apologies for the inconvenience, Phil. I'll be sure to plan kidnappings and heats better in the future. I'll let you know when I can return to work." He stabs at the End Call button with his thumb until Zanna huffs and ends the call for him. "Thanks, pup," he says into her hair. She just huffs at him again and pats his arm.

"Are you going to help Dean?" she asks quietly as the pack trails into the house. He drops his duffle next to the door as he considers her question.

"Yes, but not in my human skin," he answers finally. "I think that'll be the only way I can help him right now, just be near like when you were sleeping with us."

Zanna nods and squirms to get down, so he lets her go. She dashes off down the hallway, and Castiel turns to the kitchen to find Ellen. "Ellen, do we have anything stored away I can eat as a wolf for the next few days?"

She looks up from the stewpot she's stirring. "Should. You gonna go sit with Dean?"

He nods as he opens the refrigerator, digging a can of coke out. "Yes. It's the only way he's going to let me near him right now. And since he isn't mated-"

"-The heat won't be driving him to want sex; he just feels like he's got the flu. I know, Alpha." She throws a wink over her shoulder. "I was an unmated omega, too, once upon a time."

Castiel flushes to the tips of his ears and grumbles at her. "Yes, well. Thank you, Ellen."

"Anytime sugar. I'll make sure you two stay fed." She shoos him off.

Castiel heads to his bedroom to pack a bag. Phone and charger, plus a few things he figures Dean will want- books, puzzles, things of that nature. He then strips down and changes to his wolf form before picking up the bag. As he turns to head to the heat room, he runs into Zanna in her puma form.

_"Zanna, what are you doing, sweetheart?"_

_"Going with you to help Dean. He helped me when I needed it; now it's my turn."_ Her tail is lashing behind her, and she has a backpack clamped in her jaws. Castiel raises an eyebrow at her but says nothing as he trots past her. She waits for a beat, then scrambles after him.

Bobby is waiting at the door. He looks at Castiel when he catches sight of Zanna following him, but the Alpha shakes his head, curtailing any questions. Bobby turns and raps on the door.

"What, Bobby?" Dean's voice is hoarse, and Castiel wants to whine at the sound of it.

"Got a visitor, son. Zanna's here to see you."

"Yeah, well, so's Cas. I can smell him. Go away."

Castiel growls in response. _"Dean, please let us in. We're here to help."_

The lock snicks, and the door opens a crack. "The hell you doing in your fur, man?"

 _"I assume the reason you don't want me here is that you don't want to be mated yet, and that's fine,"_ Castiel says as his wolf thrashes against the lie. _"However, we both know damn well you aren't sleeping, just from the state of your voice. I can't mate you as long as we are in different forms, allowing you to get some sleep. And alleviate the symptoms of your heat at the same time."_

Dean's eyes narrow. "What do you mean by that?"

Castiel sighs and drops his bag. _"I mean, you're my True Mate. And I know damn well being apart is going to do neither of us any favors."_

"Bout time you told him. Idjit," Bobby grumbles as the door slams shut. They can hear Dean undoing the chain, and then the door is flung open, and Dean stalks out.

"You knew too? So Cas isn't the only one hiding shit from me?" Dean asks, throwing his arms out.

Bobby just snorts at him. "Boy, we _all_ knew. Just didn't say anything."

"How?" Dean splutters.

Castiel sits down, wisely staying silent, as Bobby rolls his eyes.

"Dean, I love ya like a son, I do, but you're a damn idjit if you thought we all don't have eyes. We've seen your moon eyes ever since you got comfortable with Cas being here. We've seen him follow you- sometimes literally- around like a puppy." Castiel growls at that, and Bobby waves him off. "Point is, boy, when you went missin’, your alpha fell apart. And there's no other reason for an unmated alpha to do that except for if their True Mate leaves them."

"I didn't leave him; I was kidnapped!" Dean roars.

Bobby stabs a finger at Castiel, who flinches away. "It's the same damn difference to our bodies, boy! Why do you think I'm such an ornery old cuss?" Bobby roars back. Dean shrinks away from Bobby as the old alpha continues. "I love Ellen with everything I got, but Karen was my True Mate. She _died_ Dean, and my body _still_ thinks she just up and left me." He breaks off and wipes his hand down his face. "Son, trust me," he says quietly, "I know. Now let your damn alpha and pup in so you can at least get some damn sleep." Bobby's shoulders slump, and he storms off to the main house, dejection pouring off him and leaving the three of them alone.

Castiel stares at Dean until the omega looks at him. He whines when he sees the glisten of tears in Dean's eyes but doesn't move. Not until his mate gives him leave to.

Dean hangs his head and sighs, raking his hands through his hair. "Get in here, you two," he says and turns back to the room.

Castiel picks up his bag and follows Zanna into the heat room. She drops her backpack next to the table, then sticks her head in it and pulls out a stuffed bear before jumping into the bed. She curls up and blinks at Dean as if to say, "well?".

He looks over at Castiel. "Was this your idea?"

_"No, hers and hers alone."_

Dean sighs, then shuffles over to the bed, shooing at Zanna to move over. He climbs in, and Castiel waits until he stops fussing with the blankets to jump up and settle himself across Dean's legs. He lays his head on his forelegs and closes his eyes as the sound of _Doctor Sexy_ 's title sequence plays. He's woken up to a knock on the door.

"Don't worry, Cas, it's just Bobby bringing dinner." He pokes the wolf in the side, making him flinch. "You gotta move off my legs so I can eat."

Castiel grumbles and shifts away so Dean can roll off the bed and pad over to the door. He watches as Dean takes two thermoses and a bag from Bobby before he closes the door and latches all the locks back.

"Zanna, sweetheart, time for dinner. Shift and put your robe on so you can eat."

Zanna sighs and cracks an eye open. _"Dean, I was sleeping."_

Dean chuckles. “Sorry squirt, but you know as well as I do if you don't eat, Ellen will skin me alive."

Zanna cocks her head to the side. _"Yeah, you're right."_ She hops off the bed and slinks over to her bag, pulling out the robe before she shifts and slips it on. She settles in the chair to a bowl of stew. Dean tosses over some jerked meat from the bag to Castiel.

"I assume this is for you, so have fun with that. But _not_ on the bed!"

 _"Well, you're no fun,"_ Castiel teases as he takes his dinner and jumps down. _"Is this deer?"_

Dean looks up from his bowl and shrugs. "Probably. Just be glad that Benny and Meg's hunting has been bringing more than just her pictures home. Otherwise, you'd be stuck with cow meat."

Castiel gnaws on the jerky as he considers the implications. _"As much as I enjoy a good hamburger, I don't wish to dine on that much cow, thank you."_

Zanna snorts a laugh, and Dean grins at her. Castiel just rolls his eyes at both of them. It's going to be a long few days.

"You know you don't have to stay the whole time, right?" Dean asks the next morning after he shoos Zanna outside to play.

Castiel rolls over onto his back and eyes the omega. _"I'm well aware. I'm also aware that even though we are not mated, our wolves are much more settled when we are together."_

"Your face is settled," Dean grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest.

_"That didn't even make sense, Dean."_

"My point still stands. You don't need to stay. I don't need a babysitter."

Castiel rolls to his chest and plops his head down on his forelegs. _"And I'm not babysitting you. As a medical professional, it's my professional decision to stay near you during your heat so your symptoms aren't so bad."_

"We aren't even mates!"

Castiel flinches and looks away. _"No,"_ he says, quietly _. "Not unless you eventually wish to be."_

Dean's head thumps against the headboard, and he groans. "I'm sorry, Cas. I get bitchy and irritable during my heats." He laughs. "Better than uncontrollably horny, though."

Castiel snorts. _"Yes, that would be terribly inconvenient for every woman and omega, wouldn't it?"_

"Yeah, it's not like the bloating, cramps, and smelling like a buffet to every un-mated alpha isn't bad enough. And I don't even _bleed_."

They share a chuckle and lapse into silence again, listening to whatever is playing on TV.

"Thanks, Cas." Castiel flicks an ear, and Dean continues. "Normally, I can't stand to have anyone around. You being here, it does help."

_"I'm glad, Dean."_

They settle into a rhythm for the next few days. The pack visits off and on through the day, and the two shifted creatures pile on top of Dean at night. When Dean's heat is over, Castiel goes back to work, and Joshua corners Dean in the kitchen.

"So," the older man says. "How long do you plan on making my son wait for you?"

Dean splutters for a few seconds before Joshua cracks a smile. "Dude, not cool."

"You try having Gabriel as a son and not pick up some of his habits," Joshua says, patting Dean on the shoulder. "Sit with me?" It's phrased as a question, but Dean can hear the thread of Omega behind it, so he obeys. "Dean, all jokes aside, how long are you going to make your alpha, let alone your wolf, be without his mate? Is there something I can do to help put you at ease?"

Dean fidgets and plays with his coffee cup. "It's not that I don't want to. Hell, before all this shit, I was thinking about even dating him for real. Get to know him and all that. But with everything that happened and the True Mates thing..." He shrugs.

Joshua leans back in his chair and steeples his fingers. "You're scared."

Dean scoffs. "Of course, I am."

"You aren't scared of Castiel; you are scared of his reaction to something that was done to you in those caves."

Dean's eyes snap to the other omega's. "No, I-"

Joshua holds up a hand, cutting Dean off. "Dean, I know you're scared because I've been there." Dean blinks a few times then snaps his mouth shut when Joshua continues. "When Castiel's father died, a little piece of Naomi went with him. Chuck was a little strange, by all accounts, but a good person. Castiel was tiny when Chuck passed away. He was just a few years old when I came into the picture." Joshua runs a hand down his face before he continues.

"My old pack wasn't very kind to those they deemed lesser. I'll spare you the details, but eventually, that pack was discovered, and its leadership was taken out. The rest of the pack was split up, and we were sent to other packs to heal. I was terrified when the Novak pack took me home. All I could do was wait for the alphas and betas to find me and continue my torment, but that never happened. After a month, I felt safe enough to start venturing outside my room." Joshua laughs. "Dean, you won't believe me until you see it, but the Novak packhouse is a literal mansion. I got lost the first time I wandered out of my room."

Dean chuckles along with the older omega. "I was walking along a hallway, completely lost, and then all of a sudden, this little boy was standing there. He couldn't have been more than five, but he was already so _serious_. He looked up at me, blinked, took my hand, and then led me to the kitchen. Made me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, put it in front of me, and just stared at me until I ate it."

"He still loves pb&js way too much," Dean murmurs.

"Of that, I have no doubt. From then on, that little boy always appeared when I left my room, no matter the time of day. I learned much later that he was the Alpha's youngest son." Joshua shifts in his chair, drawing Dean's attention to him. "My point is, my little alpha can help you heal, even in ways you don't expect, if you let him. Please let him."

Dean nods. "OK. I- I'll try. I just-"

"Am scared, and that's ok. You have people here to help you through it; you only have to ask." Joshua stands and squeezes his shoulder. "Now, come run with me."

_"Hey Cas?"_

_"Yes, Dean?"_

_"Thank you,"_ Dean says as he leaps over a fallen log, Castiel following a heartbeat behind.

_"I'm not sure what for, but you are welcome."_

Dean snorts and bumps his shoulder into Cas'. _"You're a dork, you know that?"_

Cas just hums and keeps running. After a few minutes, he veers off to the right, and they break out into an open grove of trees.

Dean makes an appreciative sound. _"Damn Cas, this is really cool."_ He flops down on the soft grass and squirms around on his back, hoping Cas will get the hint that he wants to play.

The Alpha does, leaping at Dean with his tongue lolling out of the side of his mouth. Dean rolls and darts out of the way, then bows down, tail waving.

_"You wanna play, Cas?"_

In answer, Castiel rushes toward Dean and ducks under his chin, biting at his forelegs. They wrestle until the moon is shining down on them, and Dean drops to his side, panting.

 _"Uncle, Cas! Uncle!"_ he says with a laugh.

 _"Oh thank gods,"_ Cas says, flopping down next to Dean. _"I was about to cry uncle myself. It's been a long time since I wrestled like that."_

 _"Poor old man,"_ Dean snarks, and yeah, he deserves the nip he gets for that. After their breathing calms, Dean speaks again. _"Seriously, though. What I said before."_

_"Hmm?"_

_"Thank you. For everything. Saving the pack from that bitch, loving Zanna like you do."_ He shrugs. _"Giving me time."_

Cas rolls over and drops his head over Dean's neck. _"Dean, you don't have to thank me for those things. This pack? Zanna? They are wonderful, and something I didn't even realize was missing until I had them. And you- Dean, you're my mate, no matter what. I'm not going anywhere."_

_"Thanks, Cas."_

Castiel rumbles low in his throat, soothing Dean into a half doze. They lay there until the snap of a twig catches Cas' attention.

 _"Cas?"_ Dean murmurs.

_"Shh. That didn't sound like a hoof animal."_

Dean rolls his eyes and lays his head back down on the grass. _"I'm sure it was-"_ a scent makes his nose twitch, and his lips lift into a snarl as he lifts his head again.

_"You smell it too, don't you?"_

_"Yeah. Smells like pack, but it's off."_ They climb to their feet and meander over to the trees closest to where they heard the twig snap. As they draw closer, a wolf pup tumbles out of the underbrush, making the two older wolves freeze. The tawny pup is followed closely by an enormous chocolate brown wolf that looks an awful lot like-

_"Sammy?!"_

The pack is waiting outside, roused by Dean's howl when they return to the house. Garth catches on to who's following Dean and Cas first and rushes forward.

"Bess!" He lunges forward, gathering his wife in his arms, uncaring of the fact that she dwarfs him in her wolf form. He drops to his knees, letting his pups, Gertie and Jim, clamber into his lap as Bess covers his face with wolf kisses.

Bobby and Ellen descend on Sam and Jess just as quickly, with the rest of the pack joining in, finding friends they haven't seen in far too long.

Dean slips into the house and down to his room, shifting and throwing on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He runs down the hall to Sam and Jess's room and grabs some stuff for them too, praying it still fits.

Apparently, Ash had the same idea for the other returning pack members because Dean sees him handing out clothes to newly shifted wolves when he steps back outside. He hands off the clothing to Sammy and smiles when they slink off together.

"So," Castiel murmurs from over Dean's shoulder. "These are the Ghosts?"

"Yeah. You'll meet them all later; we need to have a pack meeting and get both sides caught up. But yeah, this is the rest of us."

"Well, then. We should welcome the pack home properly."

Dean grins and throws his head back in a howl, one that Cas plays counterpoint to.

He's finally home.

**Author's Note:**

> You can come find me on [Tumblr](https://wargurl83.tumblr.com/).  
> Check out my other stories [here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wargurl83/works).  
> And you can always come talk to me on the [ProfoundBond Discord](http://discord.profoundbond.net/) if you are a Destiel lover like me!


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